The Key
by Teri of Texas
Summary: Jack maybe the Key to defeating the Goa'uld and along the way some answers may come to light.
1. Chapter 1

**The Key**

_**By Teri of Texas**_

_**Chapter One **_

Mondays are usually the worst day of the week. Hence the old saying, "it is a Monday," to give credence when things go wrong. In a highly top secret military base deep in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado, it is no different, if not the norm. It is also the same for one Brigadier General Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill.

The base is always so nice and quiet at 0500 in the morning, like the calm before the storm. A little cliché that is very prevalent around here as well. Jack was in his office hoping to clear out a lot of the paper work before all of the mission briefings got started that day. Three hours should be enough. So...he thought.

**Jack**

My phone rang and I answered, "O'Neill."

It was Tech Sergeant O'Brien from the control room, "Sir, there is an incoming transmission from the Tok'ra.

'Oh great,' I thought. 'What is it now?' Every time they called it was always something they want from us. Granted we did the same, but we were never soooo...dam arrogant about it. It had been a long time since we heard from them. Not since they severed their ties with the Alliance.

"I'll be right there Sergeant." I made my way to the control room hoping it was Jacob.

The sergeant announced me to the Tok'ra when he had seen me stepping off the stairs. "Go ahead, Sir. The General is here."

"Hello, George. I hope you are doing well?" the Tok'ra stated.

Good, it was Jacob and not one of the others. "Hi, Jacob. It's good to hear from you too. But it's Jack."

"Wellll...I guess congratulations are in order then. George retired?"

"Thanks Jacob, and no, promoted. He is in charged of Home World Securities."

"That is great. I was hoping to land and visit my family. I have not seen them in a while and was able to get away just for a little while."

"Sure come on down. You have clearance. What is your ETA?"

"I should be there within the hour. Thanks Jack. Is Sam on base?"

"Not sure but she will be here when you get here. See you soon. O'Neill, out." I turned to Sgt. O'Brien and instructed him to contact Colonel Carter and have her come to my office.

I was finishing up one of the many folders on my desk when Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter walks in. "Sir," as she snaps a salute. I just smiled, "Cut it out Carter. You know you don't have to do that when it is just us."

"I know, sir. I'm just making sure I still know how," she said with an impish grin.

Instead of commenting, I ignored the jab at my new rank, "Did they tell you about your father coming?"

"Yes, Sir. Did he say why?"

I gave a half smile when I answered, "Carter! Don't tell me you can't believe he came all this way just to see you?"

"Well, I know my father. He tends to mix business with pleasure. Especially since he was blended with Selmac."

I frowned at Carter, "yea, I know. I was thinking that also, but he told me he was taking a few stolen moments away from work to visit his family. I'll give him the benefit of a doubt, for now." I glanced at my watch just when the klaxon sounded and O'Brien's voice announces "An unscheduled off world activation." 'What now!' I thought and followed Carter to the control room?

"What is it O'Brien?" I asked while Sam sat down next to Sgt. O'Brien.

"Sir, we are receiving a text communication from P5C-678," O'Brien informed

"Carter?"

Just as Sam was about to answer, Daniel and Teal'c walked in. "What's going on?" asked Daniel.

"We're about to find out," I motioned to Carter to proceed.

"It seems the Edorians have a survivor from a downed ship. He is very badly injured and unable to move at this time. Sir! He is asking for you!"

I was thinking about the last time I was on that planet. Well not exactly the last time, where I just did a quick stop over to another planet before I trapped the rouge NID group that was pilfering objects from our alias, but the one where I believed I was not going home again; the one where the woman, Laira, had welcomed me into her home and eventually into her heart.

**Sam**

"Sir?" I was waiting for a reply, when none came I tried again. "Sir, is there a reply?"

"Yes Carter. Tell them I will be there ASAP. In the mean time have them take the precautions with the patient. He may be a Goa'uld." He then turned to Daniel and Teal'c, "I will need you two to go with me."

I stammered, "but Sir? You don't want me to go?"

"Carter, have you forgotten that your father will be here shortly?"

"Sir, he will understand."

"Carter I will talk with you in a minute. Please send the message and have SG-1 in the briefing room in 10 minutes."

"Yes Sir." I knew I needed to see my father, but I also remembered the planet. I had not forgotten about the three long months of trying to get a particle generator built and working to try and get through to the surface of that planet to rescue Colonel O'Neill, well General now. But most of all, I remembered the embrace shared by Jack and Laira when they were saying goodbye.

"Jacob is coming here?" asked Daniel, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Yes Daniel." said Jack as he was going up the stairs. "I will see you in 10 minutes. I need to make a few phone calls."

**Jack**

Just as I was finishing up the phone calls, an SF escorting Jacob walked through the door. "Thanks George. I'll call you when I get back." I saw Jacob and waved the SF off. I stood up after hanging up the phone and walked around the desk to shake Jacob's hand. "Welcome back Jacob. It is good to see you."

I then motioned for him to take a seat as I walked back around to my chair. "Same here. So they finally decided to give you the reins?"

"Yea. They figured I could stay out of trouble easier if I took on extra responsibilities." I said as I gave a sheepish grin. "How long do you plan on being here? Not doing anything for the Tok'ra while your here?"

"Jack! Please, I have not seen my family for nearly a year and the Tok'ra still like things the way they are at the present. By the way, they send congratulations of their own for eliminating Anubis. How did you accomplish that feat?"

"Trade secret," I laughed. "Actually, George has given me permission to let you know it was an Ancient device we found here on Earth. It was left behind over 10,000 years ago when the Ancients left our galaxy."

"You're joking...on earth? How did you find it? I'm sure Sammy figured out how to make it work," said the proud father that he is.

I smirked and said, "She had a contributing hand in it." I looked at my watch and then scanned the briefing room for SG-1 through the window between my office and the room. I stood and said, "I believe Sam and the others are in the briefing room."

Sam looked up to see both her father and I entering from my office. "Dad!" She tried real hard not to run but it had been along time since she had seen him.

"Sammy! It is so great to see you! Miss me?"

"Dad, you know I have." After they gave each other a very warm hug, Jacob turned to Daniel and Teal'c to give them a greeting.

I moved to take my seat at the head of the table. Sam and her father took seats to my right, with Daniel and Teal'c to my left. I took a moment to look around the table until I spotted Jacob. "Jacob you wouldn't be missing a Tok'ra and a ship by any chance, would you?" Judging by the reaction from Jacob he was not expecting that to come out of my mouth, nor did the rest of the group.

"How did you know?" asked a stunned Jacob.

"Lets just say I had a gut feeling."

"Dad, who is he? Anybody we know?"

Jacob looked at Sam and said, "No! No one you know. He was on a mission on a world where Baal has a base. On his last contact with us he told us he was on his way back from there on a cargo ship. He had said something about finding a key that could help us with the war with the Goa'uld. Nothing else."

Daniel leaned closer to the table and squinted his eyes, "Was it a real key or a tablet, what?"

"I do not know. There was not enough information given on his last transmission to know. He is 24 hours over due."

**Jacob**

"Dad, does that mean you did not stop by to visit with your family?" she said with a frown.

Uuuh ohhh, "Actually, I was on the way here when I received a call from Sorenson from the Tok'ra Council." Sam seemed to take that well, but Jack looked at me with his poker face. The one where you don't know if you should lay all of the cards down or hold and see if you can get away with the bluff. I decided to hold and bluff.

"O.K. Jacob," Jack finally said. "We need to finish up here and then you and Carter can take some time off," he spoke as he rose from his chair and pointed to each of us in turn. "Daniel and Teal with me."

We all eyed him for a moment before Daniel got up the nerve to finally ask, "Jack shouldn't Jacob go with us?"

"Right now that is a Tok'ra problem and if the Tok'ra want us to help them they can find away to repair the Alliance." Jack was still staring at me with a stony face. I reclined my head so that Selmac could take over. "General O'Neill, I know this is not an official business, and our two races have had our differences of an opinion, but we are desperate here. As you can tell by my humbling at your mercy."

I guess bluffing did not work.

**Jack**

I scanned the table at all of my friends, and yes, Jacob is a friend too, and prayed that my gut feelings were lying to me. Because I knew from the hair that were standing on the back of my neck that I knew whom the Tok'ra was and that he knew as well.

There was a voice in my head that was saying, 'is it you?' I thought back to when I last remembered the Tok'ra as he was leaving me to hide. He must have survived.

"Selmac, why don't you tell me who the Tok'ra is?"

After a very punctuated moment he said, "Kanan".

You could have cut the air with a knife because of the thick silence hanging around the table.

"Why don't you tell me the whole story? Why is he wanting to talk to me?"

Jacob had taken over again and repeated that he was unsure and the only communication they had did not explain details, but that it had something to do with defeating the Goa'uld.

"O.K. -- everyone be ready in 15 minutes and we will all go and see, Jacob, you too? From what I understand he doesn't have long to live," with that abrupt speech I gave I got up and head back to my office.

**Sam**

"How did he do that?" asked Daniel.

"Do what Daniel/Jackson?"

"Know that it was Kanan."

"I can answer that one," everyone turned to look at me. "After being blended once, you tend to get a sixth sense about these things. I admit I did not see this one coming, but I was not that close to the subject," with that last statement I pointedly looked at my dad. He literally blushed under my scrutiny.

"It is O.K. dad," as I could tell he was going to apologize. "I can understand why you tried to keep it from him." I gave him a hug. "Alright, lets go get ready."

"Whoa! Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the very logical and scientific mind of Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter is saying it was a gut thing?" Daniel asked as he raised hand as if stopping me from leaving.

"Yes, Dr. Daniel Jackson, I am."

"Sam! Your a Lt. Colonel now?" asked dad with admiration just flowing from his mouth.

"Yes, Dad, I am," I quipped with a shake of my head and a skip in my step as I was leaving the briefing room to get ready.

Disclaimer: "Satrgate SG-1" and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two 

**Jack**

'What a day I'm having, and it's a Monday. I know it'll get worst. I just have to brace myself,' I thought as I was getting ready to embark. 'One good thing out of this, I get to go off world again, finally!'

Whoosh! There it was. That big beautiful shimmering pool just waiting for me to go though. I put my sunglasses on with a flourish and said, "let's move out kids."

"Jack! It's good to see you," Garan greeted us as we came out of the gate. He reached out to shake my hand as we drew near.

"Garan, it's good to see you too. Wow! You've gained a few inches there," I said as we were looking eye to eye. "How's life treating you?" I asked as we moved out from the gate to head towards the village.

"It is good. I married Naytha and have a couple of kids."

"That's great." I stopped and turned to the rest of the group, "Garan, you remember Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c," as I pointed to each one in turn. Then I motioned over to Jacob, "this is Jacob Carter, Sam's father. Jacob this is Garan. He has been the one managing the trade between our worlds."

"I'm glad to meet you," said Jacob while giving Garan a handshake. You could tell he was a little impatient.

I decided to give him a break and get to the point, "Garan, were is the man you found?"

"This way," as he pointed towards the village, "mom is taking care of him."

"By the way, how is she doing?"

"Great. Missed you for awhile," Garan said and watching me for any reactions. I just nod my head and kept my mouth shut.

**Sam**

I was following right behind them and heard the exchange. 'I know I should not be jealous about this, but I can't stop feeling the knots in my stomach. Pete and I are engaged...Pete and I are engaged,' I chanted to myself. Hoping that it would help to dispel the knot of jealousy cramping my stomach.

Daniel moved up to the other side of Garan and asked, "So, you have a family?" Garan looked over at Daniel and smiled, "Yes, a girl and a boy. They do keep me busy. I know now what my mother went through when I was younger." Both laughed and continued to talk on the way to the village.

**Jacob**

I decided to approach Jack about the situation. I had noticed that Jack was not cracking jokes or being his sarcastic self. I came up even with Jack, tried to get a closer look at his facial expressions. He had gotten very good at hiding behind that poker face.

**Jack**

I noticed Jacob's approach and knew he wanted to say something. I waited but decided to make it a little easier for him and spoke first. "Go ahead Jacob. I won't bite."

That broke the ice and he gave a small chuckle. "Jack, what are you thinking? I'm having difficulty knowing what to expect from you when you see Kanan. He would never talk to us about that episode in his life." When I did not answer, Jacob continued, "Are you going to be alright facing him? I know you were upset with him for the experiences you had after he fled."

I was not sure how to explain what I was feeling right now. I was fine, actually. I had eventually remembered a few more things from that time. Not much, but it helped me to understand Kanan better. One of the memories was right before trying to escape from that planet where Baal had his hidden base, the first time. I remembered Kanan told Shallan to get down to wait while he dialed off world. We, (Kanan & I), were at the DHD when we got hit by a staff weapon. I remembered yelling at Kanan to go. Well, not out loud, but in my head. I tried to explain to him that if Baal caught him the To'kra would suffer. It worked. He left me and I passed out.

I stopped to look at Jacob and took a deep breath, "Look, I don't want to discuss this right now. But know that I'm O.K. with it," with that said, I started to walk again.

We just entered the village, when eight or ten kids came running up to us. Two of the kids ran right to Garan and gave him a hug around the knees. "Daddy! Daddy!" they both shouted. Garan laughed and turned to us and said, "These little hellions are Jack & Sam."

That brought Sam back with a start, "What?"

Daniel came over to Sam and slapped her on the back, "Congratulations! Now we all have a kid named after them. Well, except Teal'c."

Teal'c just raised his eyebrow at Daniel, gave him a half smile and said, "Indeed."

Garan tries to pry his kid's hands from his legs and tells all of the children, "Go and bug Paynan for awhile. I think he had something planned for you this evening." The kids laughed and ran off to find out what it was.

"You have very beautiful children. How old are they?" Sam asked. I am sure she was secretly hoping that Sam was the oldest.

"They are twins. They will be 5 next week." He looked at me for a moment to let an unspoken word or two pass before saying, "Let's go, mom is waiting."

**Teal'c**

As everyone started walking to Laira's house, I stopped and looked around. I was having a feeling of being watched. I spied a little girl standing by a large tree near the pathway. She was about 5 or so, light brown hair, brown eyes, and very cute. She was looking at me and when she noticed I was looking at her as well she broke out into the biggest smile I have ever seen. I smiled in return and bowed my head. She giggled, and then proceeded to run in the direction of the other children.

**Laira**

I was standing at the table in the center of the main room when Garan stepped in with everyone in tow. 'There he is,' I thought, 'He is even more handsome with that silvery gray hair, and yes, there is that twinkle in his eyes. More so, now.' I walked over and gave Jack a hug and said, "I'm happy to see you. I just wish it was under better circumstances."

**Jack**

I returned the hug, "your looking good."

'She hadn't changed a bit,' I thought. 'She is just as beautiful as if it was yesterday.'

'Jack,' I told myself, 'come back to the present.'

"So...where's your patient?"

"He is very badly hurt," said Laira. "He may not last for much longer."

"I understand," then I turned to Sam, "Carter, I want you and Teal'c to work with Garan and get the villagers EVAC to the Alpha site."

"Yes, sir," she said without question. Just like it should be, but the questions were there in her eyes.

"Jack!" said Garan and Daniel at the same time.

"Look. Someone was chasing Kanan. More than likely they will track him here. We need to get these people out of here before they get hurt or worse...killed."

I knew we needed to do something quick because as soon as we entered the house the hairs started doing that tickling thing on the back of my neck. That and the gut feeling that left no doubt as to the identity of the man in the other room. He would not have crashed the ship unless it had been damaged by a firefight, more than likely by a Goa'uld. I looked at Laira and told her to get what she needed and to help convince the villagers to go with Carter and Teal'c.

**Laira**

"But Jack, what about my patient?"

"It's alright. This is Jacob," as he pointed him out near us. "He is a friend of your patient. We will take care of him. O.K.?"

He held my face in his hands and looked deep into my eyes. It was like he was trying to convey all of his emotions and thoughts in that one look.

"Alright, I'll go. But Jack, I need to talk with you when all of this is over."

"As soon as it's over. Promise," then he gave me that smile.

I took one last deep breath to get the smell of him before I left. "Be careful."

"Careful is my middle name." Jack quipped.

"Yea, right," snorted Daniel. "I thought it was 'hey guys, I'm over here'."

"What ever," Jack smirked.

"Colonel?" Jack called after Sam, just before she exited the house.

"Yes sir?" she answered.

"Once everyone is through the gate, I want you and Teal'c to work your way to the downed ship. Garan told me it is two clicks due south. Watch for signs of trouble."

"Yes sir," she turned and continued her way out the door and I followed.

**Jacob**

I was watching all of this and did not miss the Jack and Laira's exchange, also Sam's reaction.

'Hmmm, you would think she's jealous. Sam had told me earlier, while we were still on Earth, about her engagement to Pete Shanahan, at the time I had some doubts about her feelings for Pete, now, after witnessing this, I have no doubts. I believe she still has very strong feelings for Jack. I'll have to talk to her later when this is all over.'

Daniel and I waited for Jack to speak. We did not have to wait long. Jack walked closer to us, "Do me a favor guys? Stay out here and let me talk to Kanan first."

"Jack?"

"Daniel. It's o.k. I'll be fine."

Jack headed towards the door and placed his hand on the knob. Took a deep breath and walked in.

I place my hand on Daniel's shoulder and said," Let him have his time."

**Jack**

I closed the door behind me and looked at the man lying on the bed. Kanan's breathing was raspy. You could see trauma over his left eyebrow, the same location of the brow that I have. 'What is it about the left eyebrow that attracts injuries. Is there a sign saying, hit here?' I reached for the chair near the bed and pulled it closer. As I was sitting down, Kanan opened his eyes. The eyes gave a faint glow. "Jack, you made it," he said with the obvious Tok'ra voice, a little breathy, but the same.

"Yes," as I leaned closer to hear better," You don't look so good."

"Is it that obvious?" croaked Kanan. He gave a small chuckle before going into a coughing fit.

"Hey, take it easy. Here have some water," I offered, holding his head up to take a sip from the cup that had been on the table next to the bed.

"Thank you," replied Kanan after settling back down. He started to fumble in his pocket for something. Then he pulled it out and he tried to lift it up to me. "Please take it. This is your destiny."

"What! Are you cracked! What is this, 'this is your destiny' crap?"

"I know, had to put that in for good measure to see your reaction," said Kanan with a grin.

"So what is it?" I held it closer to get a better look at it. There was a big blue crystal in the center of a disk made of what looks like pewter, symbols on the outer edge. Looked like something Daniel would enjoy deciphering.

"It is a Key to stopping the Goa'ulds. There is a device in my ship that it will fit." Kanan had to stop to try and catch his breath.

"Do you know how to work it?"

"Yes...but...it...has...to...be...you," Kanan said while his breathing becomes more labored.

**Elsewhere in the Galaxy**

"My Lord! We found the location of the Tok'ra ship," said Baal's first prime.

"Excellent", as Baal's eyes glowed, "take me there."

**Jacob**

"Jacob, should we try going in there now?" asked Daniel. He looked at his watch. "It has been 45 minutes."

"Yes, I think we should at least check to see if they are alright."

Daniel moved to the door to knock when Jack opened it. "Jack, we were starting to get worried."

Jack moved into the room. He was putting something into one of his vest pockets. "Just starting to?" he said with a lop-sided smirk.

"Well..." stammered Daniel, for the first time I heard him a loss for words.

"That's alright Daniel. You don't have to finish," laughed Jack.

"How is he?" I asked. I got up from the table to move around to get closer to Jack.

"I'm sorry Jacob."

I acknowledged with my head that I understood and then I tilted down and back up to allow Selmac to speak. "Were you able to get the information General O'Neill?"

"Yep. We need to get to his ship. There is an artifact we need to retrieve." Jack said all of this while walking quickly to the door.

"Jack? You said artifact. You usually call them rocks."

"Yea. Thought you get a kick out of that. Hurry up. I don't know how much time we have. We need to get to the ship."

As the three of us headed to the location of Kanan's ship, I studied Jack. I tried to move in closer. "Jack?" I asked. I was sensing something.

Jack stopped and turned around and looks at me. "Yes, Jacob?"

"Kanan is still alive, isn't he?"

"You got me there. I knew I could not slide that one passed you."

Daniel looked startled, "Kanan blended with you?"

"Yes, and before you go any further with your 20 questions Dr. Jackson, I agreed to it." I could tell that was not enough for Daniel, so did Jack. "Look, he was dying and was unable to give all of the information we needed. So, I was the one who suggested it."

"All righty then. Let's go," said Daniel as he took an abrupt turn and headed off to the ship.

Jack and I looked at each other with quizzical looks and Jack shrugged his shoulders.

"...and we're off," Jack said and started to followed the linguist.

TBC

Disclaimer: "Satrgate SG-1" and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

**Sam**

Garan and I were standing at the gate making sure everyone got through safely when, during a lull in our work, Garan asked, "Sam, are you seeing anyone now?"

I looked at Garan for a moment before I found my voice, "Yes, I'm engaged or betrothed to a very nice man back at home.

"Not Jack?"

"Ah...what?"

"Not Jack?"

"No, why would you think that?"

"You appeared upset earlier when we where at my mother's house. While Jack and my mother where greeting each other, you would not look at them. I had interpreted that you and Jack may have been seeing each other."

I was not sure what to say to that because I had been in deep thought back at the house. I had been wondering why I was having such a hard time controlling the jealousy bug. The situation is still the same. Nothing has changed to make the man I...

"Colonel Carter." Teal'c called as he was walking forward with an elderly couple.

"Yes, Teal'c?" mentally thanking Teal'c for his timely interruption, for I did not have to answer Garan or myself.

"This is the last of the villagers and I have checked all of the buildings. There are nobody left in the village."

"Thank you Teal'c," she said then turned to Garan. "Please go with them and double check the head count."

"No problemo. Give me about five minutes."

Teal'c and I just looked at each other with smiles. The Jack O'Neill corruption, there is always a little here and there through out the galaxy.

"Colonel Carter, are you alright? When I was approaching the gate I noticed you seemed perplexed."

"Yes, Teal'c, I was just lost in thought. Something Garan had asked me. It had gotten me to thinking."

"Do you wish to elaborate?"

Sam looked at Teal'c for a moment, before finally deciding to answer. "I have been..." but she got no further when a voice came over the radio.

"Colonel Carter?"

"Go ahead Major Steins"

"We have a very agitated man here. There seems to be a little girl missing," replied Major Kevin Steins over the commotion in the background.

"Major Steins, please give the radio to Garan and have everyone calm down and be quiet so I can hear."

After a moments pause Garan voice was heard, "Sam?"

"Go ahead Garan and tell me the details."

"I need to come back and look for her!" his voice expressing the urgency of the situation.

"Garan! Calm down. Teal'c and I will look for her and send her to you. You're going to have to stay there. I need to know a few things first, like her name and wahte she is wearing?"

"Well, she may have gone to the ship. We've been having a hard time keeping her away from there. Her name is Tilly. She is six years old and wearing a light green tunic with an over dress of darker green. Please, find her! Please!" with a shaky voice. You can tell he had been trying hard to calm down.

"We will. Just stay there. Put Major Steins back on."

"Go ahead Colonel," replied Steins.

"We do not know if we will have hostels coming or not, but do a check every two hours. And contact SGC and let them know of our situation.

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Come on Teal'c, lets go see if we can track her," I said turning South and started walking.

"General O'Neill!" I spoke through the radio. No answer. "General O'Neill, please come in." Just static. 'He would have interrupted the earlier transmissions if he was in range. Especially if there was a child involved. It is either the naquada in the soil interfering or they're at the ship already.'

**Daniel**

Jack, Jacob and I were walking down to the ship from the rise above, when Jack stopped and turned around to look behind us.

"Jack, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Don't know. Just had a feeling of being watched. Let's hurry up." He moved to the entrance and walked in with Jacob and I right behind him.

There were no lights on but Jack apparently knew where to go. He went into the dark cargo bay while Jacob and I checked out the ship.

"Jacob, I can not get any power here." I said from the center console.

"Nor can I," said Jacob from the pilot seat.

Jack walked back in with a jeweled box about the size of a breadbox. It had one round crystal on each of the four sides and an indention on top for a fifth. Daniel moved closer to Jack to get a better look. "Wow! I can make out Ancient and Asgard markings on this side," as, I pointed to the sides nearest to me.

Jack set it down on the center console. I was still trying to look at the symbols when Jack reached into his pocket for what appeared to be an amulet. Jacob walked over to view the box and noticed Jack holding the amulet. "What is that?" he asked.

"This," as he held it out to place on top on the box, were the indention was, "is the key." Before he could get it into place a bright light appeared near the entrance.

'Oh great, what now?' I thought. When the light cleared away there stood five Jaffas and Baal. 'This is so not good.' Baal is the one Goa'uld that I was hoping to never see again. I remembered what he did to Jack and regretted not being able to help Jack at the time.

One of the Jaffas ordered them to move away from his Lord Baal's property.

Jack had made a quick decision and placed the amulet into the depression. The Jaffa that had spoken earlier noticed and fired his staff weapon at him. The force of the blast threw him back against the bulkhead.

"Jack!" I shouted as I ran to see if my friend was all right, while Jacob followed. We both knelt down to check Jack's condition.

Baal moved closer. "You fools...do you think you can destroy me with this pitiful device? It does not work. All it is capable of is a small light show."

True to Baal's words, the device started humming and the crystals began to glow, then beams shot out in all directions, wherever the beam hit organic matter it would scan it from top to bottom and back up again. Scanned each individual in the room. But one thing Baal did not expect when all of the beams started to vibrate and swung around to focus all their intensity on Jack. The smirk on Baal's face changed to one of total shock and disbelief. Especially when the beams started to produce an aura of blue light around Jack's body.

Jacob and I backed away from Jack and just stared in shock while Jack's body arched from the floor as if his torso was being pulled forward by a strong force. The light around Jack had gotten so bright that it became hard to look at it. Then it burst out into a sonic wave that knocked everyone to the ground.

The silence was deafening. No one moved but just stared at the spot where Jack used to be.

Unfortunately Baal was the first to regained his composure and ordered his Jaffa to take Daniel and Jacob to his ship.

**Sam**

"Colonel Carter, I have found tracks of a child. They appear to be heading in the general direction of the ship," said Teal'c while he was hunched over examining the soil.

"Great, let's go."

We both moved in the direction of the ship with quick strides. Well...all right, we ran.

As we came to a rise Teal'c threw out his arm to signal stop. We both knelt down. Teal'c pointed to the top of the rise. There, about a hundred yards up, was the girl lying on her stomach looking down the other side. Teal'c and I stood up and quietly approached her. We did not want to startle her before we could get close enough to talk to her. Before we could say or do anything to get her attention we heard a staff blast from the other side. It sounded muffled. We came up to where Tilly was lying and tried to see what was happening. Tilly turned as we came up beside her and she shushed us with her finger to her mouth. Teal'c and I just looked at each other raised both of our eyebrows in surprise, at this response. Tilly pointed her same finger to the ship.

Below, there it was, with debris and dirt half barring it. But that was not what caught the girl's eyes. At the entrance was a glow of blue light coming from inside the ship. Then wave of light and sound burst from the ship and radiated out from the ship. This cause all three of them to duck down from the intensity.

"Wow! That was an EM pulse," stated a bewildered Sam.

Teal'c had heard about EM pulses. You don't hang around me and not know about them.

"Check your staff and radio Teal'c," I said while I checked mine. No clicks. No static. No nothing. 'Dam. This is just great. I'm beginning to believe Jack about Mondays.' She sighed with a huff. 'What to do with Tilly? I know someone is hurt in there and needs our help.'

As I was debating about the situation when Tilly started to back down the hill. She had gotten about a yard away when I noticed her. "Tilly where are you going?" I whispered while trying to reach her.

"I am going further to the left. There is a path that is easier to get down from."

"I do not believe that would be wise," Teal'c countered.

"I am going. Are you coming?" as Tilly moved very quickly and agilely away.

"This is so not good," I mumbled while following the little girl.

Teal'c and I reluctantly followed as quickly as possible and worked our way to the spot Tilly was occupying. It was facing the entrance of the ship. There is also a good path just like Tilly had said.

"Tilly, please we need to get you through the gate to your family. Your mother would be worried," I pleaded.

"Colonel Carter! There is activity within the ship."

I reached for my monocular and peered at the ship. There was my father and Daniel emerging with several Jaffas and ...Baal! "Holy Hanna!" 'That must mean that Jack was the one hit by the staff blast.' As I chewed over that thought, I watched everyone move out of the ship. No one else exited the ship. 'But Baal would take Jack with him whether or not he was alive,' thought Sam.

Before she could make a decision, a bright light engulfed them. An Asgard beam had caught them and transported them right next to Daniel and Jacob.

Frustration was the norm for the day as I looked around at my dad and Daniel. "What happened?"

Daniel being the one with linguistic skills just stammered and rolled his shoulders up with splayed hands.

"Dad?"

"Ah...Ahhh..."

Before I could get any answers from them another transporter beam appear with five more Jaffas. One of them walked toward Baal and knelt in front of him and bowed his head. "My Lord Baal, we spotted these three," as he pointed to us, "on the ridge above. When we could not contact you we brought them to you and came down." The Jaffa kept his head down while waiting for his lord's reply.

"You have done well," Baal imperially stated and waved him away. He proceeded to walk up to his new captives giving them his superior than thou smirky grin. Then his eyes lowered to Tilly. "Who do we have here?"

I pulled Tilly more behind me as Baal came closer.

Baal smirked even more, if that is possible, when he witnessed the futile attempt of protecting the girl.

"Come forward. Let me look at you," stated Baal in his imperial voice.

"No! Leave her alone," yelled Daniel as he and Teal'c came around Jacob to help me. The newly arrived Jaffas stepped forward and trained their staff weapons at them.

Tilly placed her hand on my arm to get my attention. "Please, it is alright."

I looked down at her and saw that she was not afraid, but something else, I was not sure what. I let go of her and Tilly walked forward. Baal was taken aback by the child's lack of fear. He frowned and looked into her eyes. Those brown unyielding eyes. He seemed to realize something and his eyes glowed with the thought, but before he could react on this, a Jaffa came walking out of the ship carrying the device.

Not sure what had started it but the box started humming and the crystals began to glow. The Jaffa was so startled that he threw down the box and backed away. He was not the only one. Everyone decided to back up also, except Tilly. She just stood there watching it. No one really paid attention to her. When the beams came out to scan us, I asked, "What is happening?"

"I do not know," answered Daniel, "but it did the same thing earlier when Jack disappeared."

"What do you mean disappeared?" I glared at him.

While I was trying to get an answer from dad and Daniel the beams started to vibrate and swung around to Tilly. She became a bright glow, "just like Jack," Daniel mumbled ruefully.

The glow became so bright that everybody started to shield his or her eyes. Then there came the blast of an EM pulse. Everyone was thrown to the ground. We just stared at the spot where the little girl had been standing.

"Just like that," sighed Daniel.

TBC

Disclaimer: "Satrgate SG-1" and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_

**Tilly**

I have a wonderful life and a great family. The only problem to this picture is that I do not know my father. I know of him, but I never meet him. Mother has always told me about him. She never tried to hide him from me. He is just not here. He is up there among the stars.

She tells me of the time she first meet him. It was during the Fire Rain over 6 years ago. That year the Fire Rain hit the ground and buried the Stone Ring. This caused my father and mother to become friends. "Really close friends", so my mother says. It did not last long. The Stone Ring was found and fixed. The people of our village, the ones that were stuck on the other side, were able to come home and father was able to go back to his place to do some very important work. Mother tried to tell me how much dad had missed it when he was stuck here.

We have something called a trade agreement with his world. My brother Garan manages the mine and the trade through the Stone Ring. I had always wondered if I could sneak through during one of the deliveries if I would be able to find him. Mother has tried to describe him to me. She said he is tall as my brother and has graying hair. He has brown eyes just like mine and has a smile that could light up a room. I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds very nice.

One day I had asked mother if she would ever tell my father about me. She gave me a very sad look before she said, "My beautiful angel, I plan to one day, but I do not think it will be anytime soon. I do not want to bother him and his work." It did make me sad to know he is just on the other side of the Stone Ring but unable to see him.

So, yesterday when an injured man was brought to the house, and he was asking to speak with my father. I got so excited. This will be the chance to meet my father for the first time. Mother noticed the excitement and told me not to tell him yet. That she wanted to tell him first. I just wanted to meet him, now. So I sulked to my room while mother stayed busy taking care of the man.

There is one other thing that I should mention. Mother says I'm special. I say I'm weird. I can hear what people are thinking. Not all of the time, just when I concentrate real hard. I tried to hear what the injured man might be thinking about my father. It was hard at first because I could hear two voices in my head. I just got a few things from the voices. One of the voices was saying how, "it won't be long before O'Neill will be here and to just hang on. He will make it. He was to. He is the only one who can activate the key." Then I had gotten a picture in my head of a round metal object with a blue stone in it and my father. He looked like the mental image of the one my mother has in her mind.

They had gotten word back that he was coming. I was told by Garan to stay here in the village while he went to greet them at the gate. He said it may take awhile so don't hold my breath. Like I would hold my breath, again. I did that once before and the results scared me. Especially when I woke up in the middle of the kitchen floor and nobody came over to see how I was doing. I had been mad and threatened to hold my breath. Mom just said "Go ahead, you still not going the get to go to Garan's tonight." True to her words I did not get to go and just got a very bad headache from that.

So I just waited by the old tree near the main road, and waited, and waited. Then finally I saw them coming from around the corner in the road. He was near the front talking with another man. There were six people in all. Including my brother. But I was just focused on my father. As he got closer I could see that he was better looking in person and I knew why my mother fell for him. But there was something else. Maybe the way his eyes were constantly moving around and observing the area, or the way he walked. He seemed so in control. I didn't dare try and read his mind. I was afraid he could tell.

Just as they were getting close enough to really get a good look, my niece and nephew along with our friends came running up to my brother like a loud herd of buffalos. (Yes, I know what buffalos are. My brother told me a story that my father told him long ago.) I watched as Garan introduced his kids to them. I wanted to run up there and shout "Hi Daddy! I'm your daughter." But I promised mother I would wait. It was just so hard. As I was about to walk away I noticed the big dark skinned one. Something about him caught my attention. It was the gold thingy on his forehead. It had mesmerized me until he turned away to go to my house. Then he stopped and turned around to look behind him. He saw me. All I could do was smile at him. He then smiled back and bowed his head to me. It was too much. I had to laugh. So I ran to find the other kids just to get away.

Before I caught up with them I stopped to think. Don't figure. I was always told that I tend to think too much and act older than I am. That I should play with the other kids more. I like to explore and to discover new things. I don't like to be cooped up in the house all the time. My mom tells me I get that naturally from my father. He would go fishing all the time when the chores where done she said. Well, anyway I thought that if they finished with the man at my house they would probably go to the ship. I tried to go a couple of times before but the elders stopped me. Maybe I can sneak up there before they do and watch them.

Before I could sneak off, the village became alive with activity. I stopped one of the elders to find out what was happening. She told me that all of the villagers are going through the Stone Ring as soon as possible. Then she shoved me towards my mother's house. I stopped and asked her to tell my mother that I was going with Garan. She said fine and I went in the opposite direction.

This was my chance to work out a plan so I could get to the ship. If mom thinks I'm with Garan and he thinks I'm with her, it might just work. So I ran to find Garan and hoped it would work. At least long enough to get to the ship before my father and his friends did.

I had made it to the ship and found a good location on top of the ridge overlooking the ship. The main path was a little bit over to the left and this would conceal me from their sight.

At least I thought so. When my dad and two of his friends showed up like I thought they would, I had second thoughts. Especially when my dad stopped and turned to look directly in my direction. Whew! That was close. I know he must have sensed my presents. But apparently he did not know what he was sensing. Because he turned and went on in to the ship followed by the other guys.

Before they had shown up I had plenty of time to think. Yeah, think. That's me. Well, anyway, I was wondering how much of the "gifts" were from my father. Mother had told me that Grandma Tillian was a seer. You know. See things before they happened so far I do not have that one. It might come later. But I can read minds. That you already know about. There is also my ability to heal. Well sort of, I think. A couple of times I found a wounded animal and I was able to fix it. I'm not sure how I did it. I just remembered thinking I wish I could take the pain away and then I felt a tingle all over and my hands had warmth in them as it was holding onto the animal. Then the animal stopped squirming in my hands and looked up at me. I could tell it was better so I let it go. It ran a little ways then stopped to look back at me. I felt like it was telling me thank you. I would like to think I healed them.

There is one other that I know of and it is the ability to remember everything. I mean everything. Like all the books I've read. Yeah, I read. Not bad for a six year old. I even learned to handle the computer at the mining site. One day I surprised my brother and myself when I was able to connect to the SGC. Well it helped that the Stone Ring was on. Apparently there is a wireless connection. I downloaded a few items to the computer, nothing much just some astronomy text references. It was very interesting to learn about black holes, galaxies, supernovas, and asteroids. Now, at night, I sit and look up and see the stars and in a different light. Their not just little bright flashing dots, but a universe of possibilities and my father is among them.

Well, now he was here. Inside the ship and all I could do was wait. I was afraid to move closer. I had thought of going inside and hide earlier, but I chickened out. Don't figure. All of the times that I would brave the unknown and defy my family I couldn't get up the nerve to get a closer look at my own father. Truth is, I'm was scared of rejection.

Just as I realized why I was scared I had seen a light flash inside the ship. It did not last more than a few seconds. As I was contemplating about going down I sensed the other two of my father's friends behind me. I decided to ignore them and watch to see if anything else was going to happen, and it did. I heard a loud noise from inside the ship. That was what brought my father's friends to my side. I turned to let them know to be quiet and pointed down to the ship.

Before I knew it a blast radiated out from the ship. It seemed like it was sound that was so intense that the dirt and brush around to ship was thrown out from it which made all three of us duct to avoid it.

"Wow! That was an EM pulse," stated a bewildered Sam. "Check your weapon and radio Teal'c,"

Sam was the name of the lady next to me and Teal'c was the other person. I found the names in their minds. That was all I looked for so I did not pry.

'What to do with Tilly?' well I tried not to pry, I caught that thought from Sam.

'I know someone is hurt in there and needs our help.' and also that one.

So I decided to move to a better position, for more reasons than to get a better view.

"Tilly where are you going?" stated Sam in a forced whisper while trying to reach me.

"I am going further to the left. There is a path that is easier to get down from."

"I do not believe that would be wise," Teal'c countered.

"I am going. Are you coming?" as I moved very quickly and agilely away. It is great being young.

I need to be able to see into the ship and the main path is angled perfectly for it. Sam and Teal'c followed. They did not have a choice. I kinda understand their worries but I had a feeling that something happened to my father, because I do not sense him any more.

"Tilly, please we need to get you through the gate to your family. Your mother would be worried," coached Sam.

"Colonel Carter! There is activity with in the ship."

He was right. There were more in that ship than I realized. Among the people that were coming out was my father's two friends, Daniel Jackson and Jacob Carter. I got the names from my companions. There also were four big men who were very heavily clothed and another one dressed all in black. From Sam I could tell that the last five people were not very nice, especially the one in black.

A name came to mind...Baal.

Before we could do anything or say anything a bright light engulfed us. Next we found ourselves standing in front of the man I was checking out, but then another light flashed reveling more men in the strange looking clothes.

"My Lord Baal, we spotted these three," as he pointed to us, "on the ridge above. When we could not contact you we brought them to you and came down." The man kept his head down while waiting for his lord's reply.

"You have done well," Baal imperially stated and waved him away. He proceeded to walk up to us with a superior than thou smirky grin. Then his eyes lowered to me. "Who do we have here?"

Sam pulled me behind her as Baal came closer.

Baal smirked even more, if that is possible, when he witnessed the futile attempt of protecting me.

"Come forward. Let me look at you," stated Baal in his imperial voice.

"No! Leave her alone," yelled Daniel as he and Teal'c came around Jacob to help Sam, causing the newer guys, Jaffas I believe they are called, to aim their sticks at them.

I placed my hand on Sam's arm to get her attention. "Please, it is alright." I was a bit scared but I was not going to show him. I tried to let Sam understand. I guess she understood, because she let me go. I walked forward. I sensed a little confusion from Baal as I showed him I was not afraid.

He frowned and looked into my eyes. Then I knew he recognized who I must be and his eyes started to glow. But before he could react on this, a man came walking out of the ship carrying the box with the jewel I seen in the injured man's mind. The box started humming and the crystals began to glow. The man was so startled that he threw down the box and backed away.

He was not the only one. Everyone decided to back up also, except me. I was fascinated with the beams of light that shot out and began to roam over everyone, including me. The beams started to vibrate and swung around to me. I remembered a glow around me and then I felt myself being pulled.

Then...nothing.

TBC

Disclaimer: "Satrgate SG-1" and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter Five**_

**Jacob**

Stunned silence hung in the air while everyone tried to comprehend what had happened. Just for a few seconds anyway. Not until Teal'c and Carter realized that they were the ones with working weapons.

Carter stood up and dragged Daniel with her pointing her P90 at Baal. Teal'c gathered his feet under him as well and pulled out his spare 9mm. He started to carry one when they kept running into technology that affected his staff weapon. Jack had trained him in the use of the gun. Teal'c had gotten pretty accurate with it.

Teal'c put his back to Colonel Carter and aimed at the Jaffas behind them.

Daniel had realized the implications and brought his weapon up as well.

I was without a weapon, but this did not slow me down. I moved to retrieve the device from the ground and returned to stand with the others.

Before anyone could speak a word all individuals began to glow. My first thought was, 'Just our luck.' Because I knew it had to have been Baal's minions beaming us up. But once the light faded, Sam, Teal'c and I were standing on an Asgard ship starring at Thor.

"Thor! What? How?" Spoke a stunned Sam. As she got her bearings she realized someone was missing. "Where's Daniel?"

Thor was at his console moving his jewels around. "I am attempting to retrieve him. It is very difficult. I am unable to penetrate Baal's shield."

"He's on Baal's ship?" How did that happen?" Sam asked, frustration evident in her voice.

"It appears that we were both beaming at the same time. I was unable to obtain a lock on Daniel Jackson, while I was successful with you."

I placed the box on a console near me and then moved closer to Thor before I spoke, "Have they left the system yet?"

"No, but they are preparing their hyper drive as we speak."

The room was silent while Thor concentrated on his job at hand. When the ship moved into hyperspace, Thor looked back at the trio and explained the situation. "They are in hyperspace as are we. I am tracking them and trying to maintain a specific distance to appear as a shadow to their ship. They should not detect us."

"That is a good thing," said Sam echoing what one General would say. "But I have a ton of questions. The first is how did you know where we were and needed your help?"

"Claviger."

"What?"

"I have not heard this word before," stated Teal'c.

"That is the name of this device," Thor pointed to the device that I had set on the console near by.

I looked at it for a moment but it was Selmac who spoke, "We have heard of it."

"The Tok'ra?" asked Sam as moved closer to her dad/Selmac.

"There is a tell from when we became Tok'ra. It was the Claviger that helped us find our humanity." Selmac breathed in awe while staring at the device. "It was said that our Queen Egeria was cured of the evil from within," as he pointed to the box.

"But the device did not take a Goa'uld. It took Jack and Tilly. Why?" Demand Sam.

"...and Kanan," added Selmac.

"Kanan?" Sam asked "Jack?"

Thor looked back at us with big ebony eyes and blinked. He appeared to be trying to weigh his words before saying anything, but he had a question of his own, "Who is Tilly?"

"A six year old little girl that vanished just like General O'Neill," growled Sam. Her patience for the day's events was starting to ware thin.

After a very pregnant pause, Thor began to speak again, "O'Neill was the one that activated the Claviger first?"

"Yes," I replied calmly, belying my inner frustration of my own.

"This is most unusual. Most unusual, indeed." Thor said with a tilt to the head showing a state of thoughtfulness.

"I believe that the little girl is O'Neill's daughter," said a stoic Teal'c to the room at large.

"What?" asked a stunned Sam?

"Really?" I was surprised. This was all new to me.

"Yes," was all Teal'c had said.

"That would explain why this Tilly was caught by the device," observed Thor.

Sam looked back and forth from Thor to Teal'c. Then asked Teal'c, "How do you figure?"

"There are several incidents that I have observed today. First: she had a high interest in our group when we first arrived in the village; second: the similarity of her eyes to O'Neill's, along with some of her mannerisms; third: is something I felt when we first found her at the Tok'ra ship. I cannot explain it, but it was so strong that it had left no doubt in my mind that Tilly is O'Neill's daughter. The fourth and final is the length of time from when O'Neill and Laira were together coincides with the age of Tilly."

Sam digested this rather lengthy statement for a moment. Then turned to Thor. "Thor, with all due respect, you have yet to explain why the device in question made General O'Neill and the others disappear."

As things tend to follow Murphy's Law, especially on Mondays, this one was no exception. Sam still did not get her question answered for at that moment the air near us began to shimmer. When it cleared there stood Lya of the Nox.

"Lya!" the pleasure was evident in Sam's voice when she noticed Lya.

Lya was the epitome of serenity, with flowing pastel blue & lavender dress and her delicate face aglow with genuine peace and sprinkled with a gleam of tolerance. She gave them all a pleased smile and a nod. "It is good to see you Samantha," as she spoke with a quiet and calming voice. "But we have a situation in which we need your assistance."

"I'm sorry, but we have a situation of our own," stated apologetic Sam.

"Yes, exactly," Lya said with a tilt of her head and a look of concern in her eyes.

"You're talking about the same problem?" I interjected.

"Yes," replied Lya in a singsong voice.

"What can I do to help?" stated Sam.

"You can help save O'Neill and the others," said Lya.

"I do not understand how Colonel Carter can help O'Neill, Tilly and Kanan. The Claviger caused them to vanish. Is there away to retrieve them?"

Thor moved forward to explain, "Not just Samantha, you as well Teal'c, but not until the process is complete. It will take a considerable amount of energy to help them back when the time comes"

"I'm sorry, how can we help with that when you obviously are more equipped for that than I am?" Sam asked with a perplexed look furrowing her brow.

Lya moved to Sam and placed a hand on her arm to convey her meaning, "That is not the same energy we are talking about. The energy that is needed is the energy from your soul, Samantha, only it will help them get back."

No one in the room said anything, just stared at Thor and Lya.

"O.K.," I finally said while I clapped my hands together, "So, what is the Claviger doing to Jack, Kanan and Tilly?"

"The device is modifying their genetic composition. When the metamorphosis is complete they will be able to change the Goa'uld, but they will need your help to return to our reality. The way will be shown to you when the time comes."

"How long will all of this take?" asked Sam.

Thor answered, "It will take one year of your Earth time in their reality, but one day here."

"Oh, holly Hannah."

**Jack**

I came to with a headache the size of Texas and with a groan I raised my hand to my head. I could hear voices but it sounded like it was from a distance. I slowly opened my eyes to see what was going on. I became more alert when I saw the Jaffas and Baal as my memories came flooding back. The box did something to me, not sure if it was a good thing. Especially with the way his head hurts, but everyone seemed to be ignoring me. I just sat there and listened to what was happening.

Baal looked very upset and his eyes were doing that glowing thing. "Jaffa, take them outside." Baal turns to address his First Prime, "You stay in here and see if you can find O'Neill and see if you can get the communicator to work."

"Yes my Lord," as he bowed his head.

Daniel and Jacob were ushered out of the ship by the remaining Jaffa with Baal following behind. The first prime tried his communicator, "Jaffa, kree!" Nothing happened. Not even static. He then proceeded to walk around the room using his staff as a probe in front of him. Swinging it back and forth working his way around the room. As he got closer to me, I started to get up, still with a headache and somewhat unstable, I slowly slid up the wall until I was finally standing when the Jaffa came closer to me.

'He does not see me,' I thought. 'Hmm. I wonder?" as I stuck out my hand when the Jaffa went by and watched him pass right through it. 'Cool!' so I did it again and again. 'Real cool.'

I stopped to take inventory of myself. I felt solid, my headache was finally starting to subside, and the shoulder felt well, but there was one thing missing.

"Kanan!" I mentally shouted for the Tok'ra. No answer.

"Kanan!" I tried again.

This time there was an answer, but not from inside my head. "He is there but out of commission for now."

I whirled around to see...himself. "What the hell? Who are you?"

"I'm you."

"No your not."

"Yes I am."

"No! Your not."

"I am."

"Not."

"Am."

"Not."

"AM!"

"O.K.! O.K.! I get the picture. So what happened to Kanan?"

"He will be alright in a while. Just give him time to recover from the change."

"So...what is up with this?" I asked as I waved a hand back and forth between the two of us.

"You want details?"

"Yes! If you are really me you would know that."

"You normally just shove things like that back to me and I would have to deal with it."

"No I don't."

The double just starts laughing. "Yes, you do."

"Will you stop that and just tell me!"

"Jeez, just keep your pants on."

During the exchange the Jaffa had worked his way through the cargo bay and was coming back into the room. He moved over to the center console to retrieve the device.

"What did that thing do to me?" I asked while watching the Jaffa lift up the device to carry it out of the ship.

The double became serious and looked at me, "We're changing. I'm your subconscious. We will be changing on a cellular level by harmonics.

"O.K. stop right there. I don't talk like that."

"No, but I do. I'm the part of the brain that understands Carter & figured out the information from the Ancient downloads. Still remember everything too."

Just then a noise caught our attention at the doorway. The Jaffa had just stepped outside when the device started up again. We moved closer to see what was happening. I saw the beams swing around to concentrate on a little girl near Sam and Daniel. 'How did they get here?'

When the girl stopped glowing she collapsed to the ground unconscious. We both moved to help her.

I reached out to brush her hair away from her face. She was solid to the touch. She is very cute with brown hair that did not know which way to lie. I placed my hand on the side of her face and rubbed my thumb on her cheek.

I felt like I knew her, but from where? After a small sigh from her, I knew, it is the only thing that made since.

"You are correct. She is your daughter," my subconscious stated.

I leaned over and scooped her up into my arms to cradle her close to my heart. "Laira's?"

"Yes, and ours."

"She is so beautiful."

"Yes she is"

I beamed a smile at myself. "This is weird."

"Yea, it is. Did you look around you, by the way?"

I took the time to look up and saw the strangest scene I have ever seen. The people where all just suspended in mid air, thrown out by the blast when Tilly was captured by the device, frozen in time.

"What in the...heck happened?" as I stared at the suspended bodies.

"When the Claviger was activated a second time it pushed us further into a time dilation. We are moving at a greater rate of speed than they are."

"Wait? What? Claviger?" I stammered.

"The device that you started with the amulet is the Claviger. It is an Ancient word meaning the holder or bearer of the key," my subconscious so informed me.

"So, where is the key?" I ask after soaking in the information.

"We are The Key."

"When we're through changing will we get back to normal time?" I asked while gazing at Sam next to me.

I placed a hand out to touch her and watched it pass straight through. "Wow, still cool!"

Just then Tilly began to stir. I shifted to get a better look at her. She opened her eyes and looked at me and I saw the chocolate brown eyes start to twinkle when she noticed who was holding her.

"Daddy!" she yelled and threw her arms around my neck for her first hug.

TBC

Disclaimer: "Satrgate SG-1" and its characters are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko Film Corp., Showtime/Viacom and USA Networks, Inc. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations and story are the property of the author(s), and may not be republished or archived elsewhere without the author's permission.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_

Tilly

The first thing I could remember, after the lights from the box had a hold on me, is a hand brushing my hair away from my face and voices. No, one voice. I felt a hand brush my cheek, and then arms cradling me. After awhile I tried to open my eyes. It was hard at first, because my eyelids felt very heavy, but I eventually did and looked straight into the eyes of my father.

Yes! I had dreamt of this moment. Wait. Was this a dream? I did not care. This was my father...Dad... "Daddy!" I finally exclaimed and threw my arms around his neck for the biggest hug I could give. I held on tight for fear he would disappear.

"Whoa! You sure have a grip there," Dad said with a choked voice. "You think you could loosen that grip so I can look at my daughter?"

It really was him. I loosened my hold and leaned back into his arms to see his face. He was looking at me with a smile. Believe me, I now know what mom meant by lighting up a room. I felt so...alive. Yea, that was the word, alive. I felt the happiest I have ever felt.

"Daddy, is it really you? I mean I've dreamt of this for years," I said with a rush. "But I never thought I would actually see you. This is great. I have so many questions."

Dad laughs and places a hand on her cheek, "Yes, it's really me. You know, you should try taking a breath when you speak. It gives others time to think or speak as well. Like, what is your name?"

"Oh! Sorry. My name is Tillian. That was my Grandmothers name. But everyone calls me Tilly.

"Tilly, very pretty name. Just like you."

I was so happy to see the love radiating out from him and the feeling of him holding me. But finally I started to notice our surroundings. "Uh, Daddy, what has happened to everyone?" as I noticed that they are, other than Dad and myself, were sort of hanging in the air.

Jack

I had forgotten about the situation until Tilly asked about the scenery. What did this mean? Why did Tilly get caught in this predicament? One possibility is her genetics. In fact it is the only thing that made sense. Kanan must have been pretty close to the mark when he said it was my destiny. But that is crap. I don't believe in the destiny bull.

'You're right. It is genetics,' said my subconscious mentally.

'What?' Oh, yea. I had forgotten about my shadow. 'Look, why don't you just move on back into my...ah...you know. It's kind a weird with you standing there.'

'What? Don't like duplicates?'

'What is that suppose to mean?' I had asked, still doing the mental conversation.

'Just that you tend to have a problem dealing with more than one of yourselves, like the android and the clone. O.K. so you are the original, granted, but I am too. I am you. No duplication here. So quit thinking of me like that. I'm here to help you with this problem!'

'Daddy?'

'Yes, sweetie?'

'Why are you arguing with yourself?'

'I'm not...' I stopped there when I realized that every thing that was said was not out loud, even to Tilly.

"Wait, you can hear my conversation with...you know?" I asked out loud while waving my hand in the direction of my subconscious.

"Yes."

"Can you see him?"

"No, not in the normal sense of the word."

"How old are you?"

"Six. I just turned six."

"You sound more like twenty-six," I said as I shifted Tilly around to give her a good look. "So, how do you see him?"

She smiled and pointed to her head, "In here."

My subconscious walked over and knelt next to us and said, "She has the same abilities as we do."

"Oh, great! If NID or the System Lords ever finds out she will be in danger for sure," I said as I rubbed a hand over my face.

"It will be awhile before they discover anything," spoke my sub-buddy.

'Oiy! What a headache,' said another voice.

'Kanan, is that you?' I asked.

'Yes, but quit yelling,' he groused.

'I'm not yelling. I'm thinking!' Geez, who would of thought?

'Well, stop thinking so loud,' Kanan replied.

"Daddy? Who is that?" asked Tilly with a frown on her face.

"Ah...that is Kanan. He is a Tok'ra," I said, trying to figure out how to explain who he really is.

"I remember him from our house. He was the hurt man. But, How can he be here?" enquired Tilly as she looked around for someone else.

My sub-buddy placed a hand on her head and said, 'Close your eyes and see.'

'Jack?' spoke Kanan in a whisper, 'What's going on?'

'SSSh! My subconscious is explaining to my daughter what you are.'

'Oh. Daughter?'

Jack's Sub-Buddy

Having a front row seat in my own mind is kinda weird. But it helps with what I have to do to bring myself back. I have been working for many years in either Black Ops or top-secret facilities, plus personal bad stuff, that I had completely buried most of the important and pertinent information and myself deep inside...me. It is going to take me the subconscious, and the help from the Ancient knowledge to bring us to our full potential, in order to help all of us.

First I will let Tilly know who Kanan is, but just the bear minimal of it. She does not need to know everything.

Tilly looked at her Dad and said, "Oh! Ewww! He is inside your head?"

"Yes," Jack said, knowing it was a mirrored reaction of him not so long ago.

'Jack! I take offense to that,' said Kanan.

'Tough! Deal with it,' exclaimed Jack.

The exchange between Kanan and myself was amusing, but time was of the essence. "Jack, we need to go."

"Go where?" asked Jack.

"What is the one place you feel most at peace?" I asked.

"That's easy, the cabin," Jack said with a frown. "Why?"

"We will go there to hang out while we do our thing," I explained.

"But that is on Earth? How can we go there with out transportation available?" Huffed Jack.

"Jack! Close your eyes and concentrate on the cabin." I said.

"But..."

"Jack, just do it!" I shouted. Even subconscious can loss patient.

"Ok, ok, closing my eyes and picturing the cabin."

Within seconds everything sifted, making our stomachs feel a little nauseas, sort of like motion sickness.

"You all can open your eyes now." I said softly, so the scenery could sink in.

Jack

There it was. My cabin in all of its glory with the best sunrise you could imagine coming up from the opposite shore. There were splashes of brilliant colors of pink, purple, and coral with a hint of yellow spilling over the mountains in the distant and landing on the surface of the lake in reflective radiance. The stunned silence is all that was coming from the observers, even me. I could not believe that I could even come close to imagining anything like this.

"Wow!" exclaimed Tilly, "it is beauuutiful."

I could not keep my smile hidden with that out burst. The joy on her face had ignited something warm in my heart. Which seems to be spreading out in all directions. It was awaking something that was dormant for a very long time.

'Kanan? What do you think?' I mentally asked him.

'I am very humbled by such beauty. Not one planet in my lifetime have I witnessed anything even close to this. I see why this place would give anyone peace.' he said with awe that was never expressed by a Tok'ra before.

It felt good to share this with them, but I believe my Sub-Buddy was being patient. Well, patient enough. He was vying for our attention.

"What?" I asked him.

"Now, you eat," he said and he pointed to a picnic blanket with a basket setting near to the dock.

"Oh, cool!" exclaimed a very excited Tilly. She turned to me and grabbed my hand and started to drag me to the blanket. "Come on daddy, let us eat." She let go of my hand and knelt down to open the basket. She then started to pull out bread, fried chicken, pizza, hot dogs, potato chips, salad, fruit, juices, soda and beer. It was a cornucopia full.

I had to laugh, because I knew it was my confliction, of wanting my favorite foods and wanting to feed Tilly health rabbit food, that caused the unique combination of foods coming out of the basket.

My sub-buddy moved to sit next to me as we settled to eat and watch the sunrise. After a moment he turned to me and asked, "Jack?" trying to gain my attention.

"Huh?"

"We need to talk," he said. The tone left little doubt to the seriousness of that statement. I looked at Tilly and watched her eagerly devour a slice of pizza and whooped with delight at the taste. I could not hold the smile back, but I could not shake the feeling that I was not going to like what I was going to tell myself.

"Tilly, I need to go and have a private word with...ah...myself. Please stay here for now and don't try to read our thoughts," I said and stabbing a finger in her direction.

"Who? Me?" she said with a grin smeared with pizza sauce.

"Oy! Now I know you're my kid," I said with a slap to my forehead.

Tilly giggled and said, "Yes, I am!"

"I'll be right back. You save me at least two slices of that."

"Ok, daddy," she answered with a cheese grin, literally.

Jack went into the cabin and looked around. It is just as I remembered it.

"Of course it is. This is your memory," stated Sub-Buddy.

I just nod and sat down on the chair near the fireplace. "All right, let's have it."

Sub-Buddy

'Where to began?' I asked myself. There is so much to tell. We have the time to tell it all, but I guess I should start with that and proceed to Tilly's predicament.

"Jack, we are going to be here for at least a year," I tell him.

"What? We can't. We need to get back to help SG1 and Jacob."

"Yeah! What he said," said Kanan.

Which made both Jacks jump in reaction, because they had forgotten he was there, sort of speak.

"Yes we do," I replied. "But you forget the time dilation between us and them.

"So, what is the ratio," asked Kanan.

"Approximately one day to our year," I informed them. "It will be some very hard times in there too."

"What about Tilly? She won't get hurt, will she?" Jack asked with a touch of anxiety.

"She is my next topic. She will not be feeling very well in a few weeks. Not sure of the exact time line." I said while raising my hand to stop the retort Jack was about to give. "But she will survive with our help. I do not know anything beyond that. She will be changing, but I am not sure at what level. I assume it will be at a smaller rate as us. Her role in all of this is still unclear," I stopped to let that sink in and moved to sit opposite myself. "There may be visitors here within our time of transition."

"Visitors? Who?" asked Jack and Kanan simultaneously.

"You know that the Claviger was created by the original Alliance, right?" I asked.

"Yes. I had assumed that by their markings on that doohickey," quipped Jack sarcastically.

"Well, at some point or other we may also have visitors to help us along by one or all of the races."

"Even the Firlings?" Jack asked.

"Maybe. Each race has their unique abilities that were used in creating the Claviger. So with the metamorphosis that is taking place there might be a time when one of them will need to come to help us through to complete the cycles. Even the Firlings," I stated.

Jack pondered that and said, "I know the Asgards are accomplished in genetics, to a point; the Nox are great with mental illusions; the Ancients had the brain power; what are the Firlings accomplished at?" He asked.

"Time and space," I said.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Daniel

"Oh, shit!" I whispered to myself when I notice my dilemma. I was the only one of my friends to have been beamed aboard Baal's ship. I was surrounded by at least a couple of dozen Jaffas & Baal.

Baal was not a happy camper. He was screaming for them to retrieve the others, while one of the Jaffas next to me began to strip me of my vest and weapons.

After Baal finish issuing orders to the Jaffa near him, he turned and walked over to face me. He had a glint in his eyes that did not bode well for me.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson...so nice of you to join us," Baal said with that smirk of his.

I just stared at him and tried not to flinch when the Jaffas, that held my arms, jerked them back.

'Don't show your fear,' I kept chanting to myself. Baal stood there staring back for a moment. You could tell his mind was churning, the gears were grinding, and something wicked this way comes.

'Dam, this did not look well for me,' I thought, but I still kept chanting my mantra in the background of my mind, 'don't show your fear.'

After years of being around Jack you tend to pick up on a few of his quirks or bad habits. 'Don't show your fear,' is one of them. Jack would just stare ahead and stoically stand there not showing any emotion what so ever. I always had gotten mad at him for that, because it never fails to piss off the enemy and him hurt. But, standing here I began to comprehend the logic behind his stubbornness. He is the type that has to have some kind of control over a situation and this is the time when there is little control and to obtain some semblance of it he can make the enemy loose theirs. He also used it to direct the enemies attention away from others when he is in his protection mode, which is all the time.

Yep, it was pissing off Baal.

"Kneel before your God, Ta'ri!" demanded Baal as his eyes flashed at me. Like Jack, I just stood there staring in front of me defying his command and chanting my mantra.

The Jaffa to my left took exception and slammed his staff into the back of my knees. Of course that resulted in pain as I instantly went to my knees.

Jack would have been proud. I kept my groan from spilling out. Not giving them the satisfaction of knowing it hurt.

It is all about control. Having control on just that little bit gives you something to cling to when everything else is out of control.

Baal just stood there watching me. After a moment he ordered them to take me to a holding cell until he was ready for me.

Jaffas are never to gentle when they take you anywhere, and for some reason, these guys were no exception. By the time we made it to the cell I had a few bruises to my back to prove it. Once the door was opened to the cell I was grabbed and literally thrown into it and smashed up against the opposite wall. My head did not fair well with that little maneuver. I lay there contemplating my options.

Did I mention that being around Jack tends to rub off.

But that did not help the fact that my options where very limited. It all boiled down to being rescued either by SG1 or possibly a couple of rebel Jaffas, the former, maybe; the latter, doubtful.

Thinking of the first reminded me about Jack and the little girl. Where did they go? What was that artifact?

Jack

It has been several weeks now and no sign from any visitors or Tilly getting ill. Which is a good thing but very nerve racking, but I was not going to sit around waiting for something to happen. My subconscious or sub-buddy is back where he belongs and just comes out every now and then.

I planned to make good use of the time I did have getting to know my daughter. Which turned out to be the best few weeks of my life, considering the circumstances.

I started out by telling her about my family and her brother. At one point, you know which, things got a little awkward, but Tilly just grabbed my face in her little hands and said, "It's all right Daddy. He is not hurting and he is watching out for you." Out of the mouths of babes.

We had gone fishing, hiking, camping, climbing, and skating. The latter was the most fun. We had gone up into the mountain and came across a frozen pond, which happened to have a convenient log near by with two sets of skates waiting to be used. They were the right sizes as well.

The mental stuff was great. Because I know it was I who conjured up the pond and skates. At the time I was telling Tilly about Minnesota winters.

The day was enjoyable and Tilly learned quickly enough how to skate. Kanan was ecstatic about it and wanted to try. Needless to say, he did not learn as quickly as Tilly and I had a sore backside to prove it.

During our time together we had discovered that we both have some unique talents. Some I even had forgotten about. Like touching my nose with my tongue. But on the serious side I found that all of us, Tilly, Kanan, and I can communicate mentally. This of course was discovered from the beginning of our little adventure. Also, that both Tilly and I have photographic memories. No wonder she is so smart. She is just a chip off the old block. It reminded me of...me.

I was the perfect geek and blew all of the bell curves. Also was picked on by the rest of the kids for it. Go figure. I think that was the first time I realized I needed to be more discrete and camouflage my geekiness. I worked hard at being a jock and eventually became good at it. But when I'm by myself I would explore and discover all I could about History, Science, Math, Astronomy, Planes, and Rockets. I went to the local liberty and sequestered myself in a corner and figuratively devoured the books. I had enjoyed those times because I could escape the real world.

I had gotten so good at hiding my true nature my teachers even believed it. I would make sure I did not get to carry away with my grades and caused a little trouble every now and then, actually, a lot.

I have a habit of moving. I could never sit still even when I sat in the liberty. They had called it nervous energy. I called it anxious to get out to see the world. Who would of guessed it would bring me here.

So, here I was sitting on the porch watching Tilly playing with our dog Charlie. Yeah Charlie, Tilly named him after my son, her brother. Charlie is just another product of my psyche. For the most part, I'm the one controlling the experiences and objects that was showing up, but Tilly had her moments.

Just the other day we had a lull in activities when I heard a familiar noise. It was clicking sounds. I traced it to the big tree near the lake. On the other side was Tilly with a laptop. Go figure. But there she was just typing away on it. I did not know she knew what a computer was, much less how to operate one. She had told me she used to play around with the one at the mine's office.

I had wondered were some of her knowledge had come from. Edora was not that far in technology, other than what we had there for the mining operation.

Tilly has great potential and that scares me. It reminded me what an Asgard once told me.

"Daddy?" Tilly asked

"Yes, sweetie," I was jolted out of my musings.

"I don't feel good," she said as she was walking up the steps.

She did not look very well, either. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes too bright. I got up and scooped her up and headed into the cabin. She was burning up.

As I laid her down in her bed my Sub-Buddy showed up. I turned to him and demanded that he tell me what is wrong.

Sub-Buddy

I was so tired of coming-up with the answers and when demanded of me I could not give one. I did not have one to give. I knew she would start feeling ill and I knew we, as in me, myself and I, should help her. I just did not know how.

"Jack, I don't know the answers. I'm sorry," I said apologetically.

"Fine! You stay here and keep her company while I go and get something to try and bring down her fever," said Jack as he headed for the door.

"Jack! You do not have to leave. Just think of what you need," I reminded him.

"Oh...ah...right. We need something for the fever, Ibuprofen for kids, bowel of cool water, and a washcloth," as he stated each item the appeared on the side table to the bed. "Oh and a glass of water, too."

Jack continued to administer to her. He even used the broad-spectrum antibiotics that we carry in our packs. Buts the fever was still high and she was having difficulty breathing. He proceeded to get an oxygen mask on her as well. She was stable but not getting better.

Jack

For two days I sat there trying to save my daughter but she was slipping. The thought of losing another child was just all consuming. The hopelessness of the situation was eating at me. I raged, I cried, and then I despaired.

I laid my head on the bed next to Tilly and cradled her. I did not know what else I could do. I cried for her, I cried for Charlie, I cried for Sara, I cried for everything that I could not save. There just had to be something I could do.

Kanan

It was hard having a second seat to the misery that was Jack O'Neill. I could take over and let him get his control back and rest, but I knew he would never allow that, especially with Tilly so close to death.

After several hours, Jack was on the verge of collapse when I made my mind up to take over.

Several things happened at once. One: Jack noticed and screamed to be back with his daughter; Two: Jack's so-called Sub-Buddy appeared next to us again; and Third: I could feel Tilly's illness. I was still prone over her fragile feverous body. I could tell that it was the same disease that Jack had when we first were blended. I had the ability to cure it, but I was in Jack's body not hers.

I had a feeling I did not need to be in her body to heal it. At least I hope not. Jack had taken control back and would not let me near her again. With the amount of time I did have a moment ago I could tell that the connection was strong.

I tried to calm down Jack so I could broach the subject, "Jack! I know what is wrong with her."

"Jack!" I yelled loader, "I know what is wrong with her."

"Oh, you just figured that out," replied Jack sarcastically.

"Jack, listen. Please! Something is different here," I beseeched him.

Jack slowly rose to sit upright in the chair, but left his hand on Tilly, afraid of loosing the connection to her," What is it?"

"I can feel Tilly," I said.

"Well, yeah. Our hand is still on her," scoffed Jack.

"No, not like that. Like...I do with you. Like I am connected with her," I said.

"How is that going to help her?" demanded Jack.

"I may be able to heal her like I did you. It is the same illness and with this connection it could work," I stated. "I could try. Let me take over."

Jack

I was hesitant at first because I was scared. Yeah, big tuff guy like me. But I did not want to let go of her. I finally let Kanan have the control and I could feel him reaching out to her. It gave me hope that it could work. For one thing this was not something that the Tok'ra were able to do. This was all new to both of us.

There was a pull from Kanan. It felt like someone drawing you in close for a hug. It was warm and comfortable. I could feel Tilly too. This was different than before. Before we just touched mentally, but this was a stronger sense of her physical being and she was not in good shape. Kanan was right it did feel like when I had gotten sick in Antarctica.

Kanan was trying to help her. I could tell he was focusing on her symptoms at the moment to stabilize her. He was weakening fast and I was starting to get frustrated again.

Sub-Buddy

I was getting frustrated also, but for a different reason. Don't get me wrong I was worried about Tilly; after all she is my daughter, too. No, it was Jack, my conscious part that was the cause of all of my frustration. He could help Kanan. He, or we, has the power to heal. I think he does not remember. It could be what will pull Tilly through.

As I stood there I realized that it I who that could make it happen. I reached out and touched my conscious head and focused on merging. A blinding white light washed everything out except for the bed and chair with Tilly and us. We had our hands on Tilly and focusing on her, feeling her illness. We were siphoning the illness into us. When we could take no more, everything went black.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter Eight**_

Tilly

I was feeling terrible but not so bad now. I felt wet and sore all over. There was a gentle breeze tussling my hair as I came to. I felt a hand on my chest and one by my face. There was no movement from either. "Daddy?" I whispered from a very dry throat. It sounded so gravelly, that I wondered if it was truly my voice. I took a swallow to try to moisten my throat and tried again. "Daddy?" By this time I was able to get an eye open and saw his head lying on the side of the bed. I reached out to shake his shoulder. "Daddy, please wake-up?"

The room was gone. Just the bed, the chair and the cabinet next to the bed were there. Everything else was gone. It was white out. But where was the breeze coming from?

And it was increasing.

"Daddy?" I was getting scared, now.

Finally a moan emitted from Daddy. He started to sit up but groaned even loader. "Tilly?" he called with barely a whisper.

"I'm here Daddy," I said while rubbing his shoulder for reassurance.

"What happened?" he asked groggily while attempting to sit up.

"I don't know. I was sick. Now I'm feeling better."

"Aaaghh!" exclaimed Dad while grabbing for his head as if in pain with his eyes closed tightly.

"Daddy, what is wrong?" I asked while I reached for his head. "You're scaring me! Daddy?"

He slowly relaxed a little and looked over at me with glazed eyes. They were not focused on me.

"Daddy?" I asked softly. I did not know why I spoke quietly as I did, but he looked like he was in a trance. I reached out with my mind to see if I could get his attention that away.

"OW!" That hurt. It had felt like I just touched flames in the fire pit. As I looked at his face I noticed his eyes started to blink, slowly at first. Then more rapidly, He began to focus on my face finally. "Daddy?"

"Tilly?" he croaked.

"Yes."

"Oh Tilly!" he said as he reached for me. "You alright?" He put a hand on my cheek to lift my face to his and kissed my forehead.

"Yes, I am now. But what about you?" I just could not believe he is asking me how I am, when he is the one that looks terrible.

"Daddy, please tell me what is going on." The breeze is now increasing to a full-blown wind and the once white of our space is getting darker. Like a storm was brewing.

"Tilly, I need to get you back. It will not be safe here for you any more," he said as he was panting as if he had been running for a long time.

"But...I want to stay with you," I pleaded.

"No!" he said as his panting became harsher. "I need to know your safe."

"How am I supposed to get back?" I was hoping that would be a problem so I could stay.

Daddy took my hands and held them in front of us. His thumbs were rubbing across the backs of them. "Do you remember the top jewel on the box?" he asked.

"Do I remember? Dah!" What a silly question that was. He knows I have a photographic memory just like his.

"Right. Well concentrate on it. Close your eyes and picture it. Try and focus only on it nothing else. O.K.?"

"How is that going to help me get back?" I asked indignantly.

"Just do it," he quipped trying not to laugh. He did not release my hands, gave them an encouraging squeeze. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the jewel. The noise from the howling wind started to subside. I open my eyes to see daddy fading. "No! Daddy I'm scared."

"It's alright. Sam will take care of you and get you back to your mother." I noticed his hair was still whipping around as if the winds were still blowing, but I could not feel a thing. Then I saw images starting to appear. Faint at first, getting stronger as I watched. I no longer can feel my daddy's hands. I looked up to see he was fading out. "Daddy!"

"Sssshh! I'll see you soon," he said and smiled that bright smile of his that had my mother's heart melting every time she saw it.

I hoped so. I could not hold back the tears any more as he disappeared and was replaced by the woman called Sam.

Sam

I was just getting over a very strong shock wave that seemed to emit from the box about a few seconds ago when before me stood Tilly. She was standing there crying as if her heart was broken. I knelt down to take her into my arms to try to comfort her. She excepted my support and fell into my arms sobbing even harder with one word coming from her trembling lips," Daddy!"

I was holding and rocking her to calm her down. I wondered what was happening? Where was Jack? Why is Tilly here and not him? Why was the box starting to glow again? And it was. I was looking right at it and it was. Then another powerful wave came out also.

"Thor, Lya, what is going on?"

Both had looked at each other. Thor's big ebony eyes blinking at Lya and Lya looked quizzically back at Thor. They both turned to me and said in unison, "We do not know."

"What?" You don't know? What do you mean you don't know?" asked Jacob as he came closer to Tilly and me. "You created the Claviger."

Lya spoke first, "This is not what it is suppose to do. From history of the previous device, we know that it never did this and according to the scientist that built it, it is not dissimilar to the other.

"Does that mean O'Neill is in danger?" asked Teal'c.

"We are unsure at this time," stated Thor.

"I will go and consult with our counsel of elders. I will return," Lya said before she vanished with a nod of her head.

Tilly was starting to calm down, so I figured I could ask some of the questions I had running around in my head. But before I could ask she started answering them for me.

"I do not know what was happening with daddy. He had just helped me get well again. I was so sick that I thought I was a goner. I am not sure how but he cured me. I remember Kanan saying something about when daddy was sick with the same thing during their first blending. When I became aware again, I noticed the wind and daddy's pain had increased at the same time. The more pain he felt the more the wind blew and it also start to get gray like a storm was brewing. A really big storm."

Everyone was listening to Tilly's story with complete attention, even Thor, when another of those waves shot out from the box. But this time it was not just a short burst. It was very long and intense.

Jacob

After the wave passed. I felt very depressed or sad, as if the waves were an emotional storm washing over us. It was so intense a sensation, that I was worried for Tilly. I figured every one else could handle it. As I looked at her she appeared fine until I realized that she displayed no movement. Her eyes appeared to be glazed over. I looked to Sam to see if she had noticed as well, but she appeared to be experiencing the same affect. They both were frozen as they were before the wave. I reached out to get Sam's attention. "Sammy?" No response. I shook her shoulder that I had my hand on. "Sam?" still, no response.

"Thor what is happening with them?" I asked out of desperation.

"Colonel Carter?" Teal'c stated in his very impressive baritone voice in hopes to bringing her out of her trance.

Just then another more intense and lengthened wave emitted from the Claviger. This one seems to leave a stronger emotion in its wake. Love?

Daniel

Baal. What can I say? He is and always will be a Goa'uld. So high and mighty with the 'I am your God', attitude. He is such an ass. He did not take long to summon me to his "presence."

Of course I gained a split lip and some bruised ribs along the way. So, here I am kneeling in front of his high and mighty in his "throne room."

"Daniel Jackson, you know, I believe O'Neill called out your name when he and I were enjoying ourselves the last time he was in my presence," he spoke with that leer and glint in his eyes. Like he was going to enjoy this immensely at my expense.

I just remained closed lipped to the comment. There was no need to provoke him. Well, he really does not need any, but he is not getting help from me, needless to say.

"I believe you were ascended at that time," he quarried.

"What has that got to do with anything?" I shot back.

Baal took his time before answering that little out burst. He got up and walked closer and looked unwavering at me and gave a little twitch at one corner of his mouth. He began to bring up his left hand and I could see a hand device on it. But before he could activate it we all felt a wave of discomfort. It had startled Baal greatly. He started barking out orders and returned to his "throne." As he settled he looked at me once again. "Where is O'Neill?" he yelled.

"Now, see I could have figured that out if I had a chance to decipher that artifact," I replied. " But since neither of us happened to have it, that would be hard to do.

Another wave more intense than the last washed over us with emotions of all kinds swirling in its wake. I looked up at Baal to see his face to gage his reaction with the intense emotional backwash. It kind of left me nauseous, but Baal looked worse. He was almost doubled over from that last wave. Then another even stronger and more powerful wave of emotion hit.

Baal passed out completely and so did half of the Jaffas.

Hammond

Well, here I am again, sitting behind this desk waiting for information. I have people at the Alfa site bugging me for information and the MALP is not picking up anything from Edora. It has been 12 hours since we have heard from anyone there.

The phone rang, "Hammond."

"I'm sorry. I was trying to reach General O'Neill," said a female voice on the other end of the line.

"General O'Neill is currently out of the country. This is General Hammond. How may I help you?"

"I'm the Principle at the Colorado Springs High School. We are trying to reach General O'Neill because his son is ill and has collapsed here at school. We have called for an ambulance."

"What? I know Jon. Please have the ambulance take him to the Academy Hospital and I will try and contact General O'Neill and Jon's doctor. I will meet them at the hospital." Dam! This is not good. Where are you Jack?

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate that greatly," said Principle Sanchez.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Jack

The pain was so intense. It was ebbing over me in waves. It did not come from any injury I might have sustained, that I'm sure. No this was different. It was more like an open wound in my soul. Every emotion that I had through my life was spilling forth, beginning to swirl around in a cyclonic fashion with me as its center. Faces and places were merging as debris within the storm. Instead of the Ol' Ms Gultch on her bicycle, it was the asshole from Iraq leering at me, along with the fear, humiliation, anger and rage that I felt at that time.

The pain varied according to the concentration from the debris that came forth. As each one bombarded my senses the storm around me intensified.

With every onslaught of the manifestations, I tried to fight for control of the emotions, but the pain radiating through my mind and body was like surging electrical currents causing me to arch my back with the anguish. I cried out to no one, for I'm alone in my suffering.

Every new face, some without names, came another assault on my soul, some more powerful than others.

No sense of time was noticed. I flowed in and out through it all as if the winds buffeted me around. One time I am in High School hidden behind book selves in the library. The next I was facing Baal. The tempest swelled to engulf me. I began to see more of Jack O'Neill's life, my life, but I noticed that it was not warped by the horror of the monstrous experiences or the atrocities of others. No my life had faired well. I began to notice the family that I have surrounded myself. Their faces evoked the love I have for them. Diminishing the force of the deluge of my psychic storm. There still was pain...pain that only love could bring. The love for a son taken so early in life, the love for a wife I pushed away, love of friends I feared I would not be able to protect, and love that is unrequited.

With the love and faces of those associated with it, I began to experience something strange but familiar. The faces began to morph into others, but I know they are the same people.

No, not the same people, but same souls.

Yes, that was it, but how?

As I watched I started to understand, they were my friends and family from past lives.

Now, I'm not one to believe in such things. But the knowledge is there within me. I know. As each life I led passes by another replaces it. They are increasing in speed, chronologically moving back in to time.

I do not know how I'm able to keep up with it all but I do and I'm beginning to see.

It is not just Jack O'Neill's life that brought me here but also the life of my soul.

As this revelation hits, the storm stops abruptly.

"Mercurio," whispered a soft singsong voice that was spoken from everywhere but nowhere. I turned to see who it was but I saw no one.

"Who is there?" I asked. I know I did not imagine it.

I looked around me again but all I saw was the palest blue everywhere. No horizon. No clouds. No grass. No nothing. Just blue. It almost felt as if I was suspended in the middle of all it.

Then, in front of me, I began to perceive a hint of a haze. It started to thicken and swirl in a mass of white smoke, condensing to form a shape of a small being. There was a head, shoulders, arms, torso, and legs. But it was different than a human, as I knew it, because it also had what appeared to be wings.

Yeah, wings.

I watched as its face came into focus. The face of an angel, that was all I could come up with for a description of the being in front of me. There was a glow surrounding it as if energy was radiating from every pore of its body. This being seemed similar to the Nox in coloring, with the blues and lavender jump suit it was wearing. The hair was white and fluffy like a halo of clouds. The wings were of the same color and texture as its hair. It stood no higher than 5 feet and its body was thin and fragile looking as an Asgard's.

I looked closer to its face and saw eyes looking back of deepest ebony with multiple pinpoints of sparkling lights within. It was like looking through a window into the Universe.

"Mercurio," said the being before me. But the mouth did not move.

"Who are you?" I asked

"I am Parcae," she said. I assumed it was a she for the softly spoken words in my head gives me the feeling of a gentle touch of a female.

"Who is Mercurio?" I enquired.

"You are," answered Parcae.

"Ah!" I said. That explained everything. NOT.

"Your sole is one of the oldies in this galaxy. You are also the fated one, the one that had walked this path before and was not as successful the first time. Do you not remember?" she asked.

I do not know how I comprehended it all, but I just looked at her and gazed into her eyes and saw the truth. I was the one that helped bring the Tok'ra into being, but I was also the one that brought the plague of the Ancients. Forced my ancestors to take the next step into our evolution. But I chose to stay and try to correct the mistake with the new Claviger and by the path of reincarnation. I was able to mingle with the second evolution of humans on earth to help blend the genetics to create the next Key. Me.

I was not alone. I had a group of supporters that decided to go with me. Plus I had my soul mate with me as well...yeah...Sam. She has been with me from the start.

You probably wondering why she does not have the Ancient gene, well it's because of the ratio of Humans to Anceints over the 1000's of years. It's like playing Roulette. A very small number will have the gene. Lucky me.

"I remember and also understand," I said.

"Then you know that there is still a part missing," she coached.

Flashes of memory breezed by us, ruffling my hair. A face...my face...but not my face at all, it was Mini Me, Jon. The clone of me that the Asgard Loki created when he stole my ass to experiment on me, the clone I have begun to accept as my son.

The genius. Yeah, Jon decided to go a different route than I did. He decided to become a 'Scientist'. Go figure.

"Yes. He is needed to be here as well," Parcae said.

"How?" I asked perplexed.

"Reach out with your mind and search that which is familiar," she said.

"Yes...I..."

"How many do you feel?"

"I...wow! There are a lot out there. I feel everyone," I said with amazement.

"Good. Now, narrow it down to finding a piece of yourself."

"There are two?" I asked questioningly.

"Yes. One is Tilly. The other is..."

"Mini Me."

"Yes. If that is what you call him. Concentrate on him. Reach out with your mind and merge with his."

I did just as she said and mentally stretched out and touch Jon's mind. "Jon!" I called and felt a response. Weak at first, then like a jolt of lightening we were together within a column of white light facing each other.

"Whoa! Ah, what's going on?" Jon asked. "You're not ascending are you?"

"Let me share with you what I have learned," I said as I reached out to place my hand to the side of his head. Jon's body stiffened at the touch and became catatonic as I showed him everything that I experience through my 'brain storm'.

Hammond

I had no idea where Jack was; Jon was in the hospital; SG1 was missing as well; and the alpha site was over run by the Edorains. Oh, and they were on my case about a missing little girl as well. I was on the verge of wondering if it will get worse when I caught myself before I jinxed it.

I had gotten to the Hospital just after Jon and was waiting for the doctor to come and tell me what is wrong with Jon. I had always hated waiting. Over the eight plus years I had to do it a lot especially with SG1.

Just as I was about to get up to check on the Doctor he came through the door to the waiting room.

"General Hammond?" the doctor said as he reached for my hand to shake.

"Yes. What can you tell me?"

"I'm Doctor Jeff Weber," he stated. "I'll try to make this as succinct as possible. We have no idea what is going on with Jon. He is experiencing something similar to a coma, but it is not a true comatose state. We did a brain scan and there is a huge amount of brain activity. More than the average person that is not in a coma."

"Is he stable enough to transfer?" I asked.

"Transfer? Why? Where? This hospital is more than adequate for helping Jon. Well, when we know more of what is going on with him. Plus, we would need General O'Neill's permission for the transfer anywhere." Dr. Weber declared.

I was about to answer him when Dr. Brightman from the SGC finally arrived to handle Jon's case. She had been delayed at the infirmary earlier with SG7. "Dr. Brightman here will be taking over the case and please fill her in on Jon's condition. The Air Force is taking over this case," I said as I held my hand up to forestall the retort. "This is not negotiable. Now, I need to see Jon."

"Yes, sir. This way Doctor...General." said Dr. Weber as he waved his arm to the door and nodded his head at each of us when addressed.

As I walked in I saw Jon's body stretched out on the bed with wires and tubes coming out from everywhere. I went closer to the bed and reached for his hand that did not have any obstructions and held it. The Doctors did not leave yet. Dr. Weber was explaining everything to Dr. Brightman. I was rubbing my thumb over the back of his hand when I felt his hand give a tingle, like static electricity. I dropped it quickly and stepped back.

"What is it General?" Dr. Brightman asked.

"I don't know. It felt like a static shock," I stammered. Before anything else could be said Jon's body began to glow with an aura of blue light. His body started to arch up of the bed and the glow became more powerful. Then there was an eruption of light and energy that waved out and threw all of us to the ground. When we regained our senses and got to our feet we saw only the empty bed with all the wires and the tubes lying there. Fluids where staining the sheets from the IV and catheter, all of this was eluminated by the emergency lights that came on with the sudden power outage.

Sam

I am confused and disoriented. I hate that. I do not like not knowing about everything. It is something I have always strived to control. That is why I have always tried to seek the answers for everything. It gives me that control.

I looked around to see where I am. I saw nothing but darkness everywhere. For the life of me, I do not remember how I had gotten there. Nor could I remember what had happening before.

"Sam?" came a voice from the dark. "Sam?" It spoke again. It sounded like a child.

"Who is there?" I asked. Hoping a shred of memory would surface.

"It's me, Tilly. Do you not remember?" the voice sounded hesitant. Then in front of me the out line of a little girl formed. As she became more solid my memory started to filter back. "Tilly?" I stammered. "Where...are we?" I asked like she would know. Well she did come back from being with Jack. She just might have a better idea than I.

"I don't know. One minute I'm telling you about what happened to Daddy and me, the next I'm here," throwing her small arms out to the surrounding darkness. "Sam? I think I'm scared now."

I felt the same way. So I knelt down and held out my arms to bring her in for a hug. "So am I, Tilly. So am I."

"Do you feel something?" Tilly was shivering in my arms and trying to burrow deeper into the hug I had her in.

"No. Only you right now. We will be alright." I tried to comfort her. Pulling her out a little to see her face. "It will be alright. We just need to stay together and we can work this out. O.K.?" I reached up to push a strand of hair from her eyes.

"O.K., but there is something here with us," Tilly whispered.

"How do you know?" holding her a little closer.

"I...I feel...him," as she continued to shake.

"Ssssh. I've got you." I rocked her back and forth to comfort her.

"I see why Daddy loves you."

"What?" I looked at Tilly to see her face.

"Daddy never told me. I peeked into his mind. I was curious about his feelings about my mother. I just want to see if she was in his heart. But I did not see mom there, I saw you. In fact that is why...I...ah...

"What? Why you what?"

He is here," she said as she ducked her head into my shoulder.

"Who?"

Laughter filled the gloom. A cloaked and hooded figure appeared in front of us.

"Anubis!" Standing up and moving back away from him while still clutching Tilly. "What do you want?"

Laughter rained again and he pointed to us and said, "You will be my guaranteed against O'Neill. He laughed one more time and left.

"Great! This is just great!"

Jacob

Thor had just placed Sammy and Tilly into a stasis pod when an alarm went off on his console.

"What is it?" I had asked.

"Baal's ship is dropping out of hyperspace," Thor had informed us.

"Are you able to retrieve Daniel/Jackson?" Teal'c asked as he proceeded to the console from the stasis. Thor continued to move his jeweled controls around on his console and then a bright light appeared near us.

"Hi, guys. Ahm, what's going on?" he asked after spotting Sam and Tilly.

"Welcome back Daniel/Jackson. We do not know what is happening yet, other than...

As Teal'c explained everything that occurred since he was gone, I moved over to speak with Thor about Sam and Jack's daughter.

"I'm sorry Jacob Carter, but I do not understand what is ailing them. All of the vitals are within the norm of human physiology. The only thing that is puzzling is their cerebral cortex utilization is very low, almost non-existent. This explains the comatose state they appear to be in. As to why I do not know," he had shaken his head as he showed the confused status of his mind in regards to their condition.

Teal'c and Daniel moved over and heard Thor's conclusion to his statement.

"Thor, do you know about the Claviger? I know what Teal'c had told me and he mentioned what Lya had said, but what, or more importantly, how is it supposed to 'help' the Goa'uld?" he asked while using an O'Neillism with the finger quotation marks for emphasis on the word help.

It had always amazed me how Jack could be such an influence on so many people, including my daughter. I turned to look at her and wished there was something Selmak or I could do, besides waiting. Just as I was starting to refocus back to Thor, another one of those waves hit again. This one seemed more powerful then all of the others put together. It left me breathless in its wake.

"Dam! That was strong!" exclaimed Daniel.

"Indeed!"

"What is it, anyway?" I asked. Knowing I was probably not going to get an answer.

Right then a glow materialized three beings next to Thor. One was Lya of the Nox. As to the others I did not know. However, Daniel was able to provide an answer to the identity to one of the others.

"Oma! Lya! Ah...what is going on? Please tell us." pleaded Daniel.

"Hello Daniel, Teal'c and Jacob." said Lya with a serene smile and a nod.

"Daniel," Oma said in a way of greeting. "Let me introduce everyone to Parcae. She is here to represent the Firlings." she motioned with an arm towards the winged being beside her. "She has been in contact with O'Neill and will be able to provide a few of your answers.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Jacob

I could not believe this is happening. Jack vanished. A little girl vanished and is Jack's daughter. She comes back to be sent into a comatose state with Sam. Baal snagged Daniel but Thor got him back. Some weird emotional wave of sorts is happening. And now, we see all four of the races from the original Alliance standing here, hopefully with an explanation.

"_To help you understand this better_," Parcae entreated. Her voice had a singsong quality to it, "_let me explain our history a little_."

"_Long ago we were beings as you, exploring the universe and making allies. We needed to because of a threat from beings that stole from other worlds and destroy that which they cannot have. You call them parasites, or the Goa'uld. They were discovered on a planet after we established a gate. We did not know of the threat until several years later when we woke up the Unis colony, the first host, that had been hibernating. We still did not find out why they were in hibernation, only that we woke them. Things rapidly became out of control and the parasites within the Unis soon infested the Universe with their greed, hated, and evil control. _

_The Alliance was able to create the Claviger, the device to help stop the Goa'uld. There was one scientist that had created the first of these with the help of the Alliance and went on to develop the second. He is the only one that knows the true nature of the Claviger. Any one else that helped was not privy to the full extent of the device. We can only tell you what had happened with the first one._

_You may know some of it by pieces here and there that you have gleaned through out our galaxy. The Ancients developed an illness that rapidly causes deterioration of the brain. They were unable to find a cure and most had died. Including the scientist that created the Claviger, but not before he finished with the second. He had hoped it would work better this time because it was a side effect from the first that caused the Ancient's demise on your plane of existence. It also was able to help into being the To'kra. Their queen Eigeria was the first and only to be transformed. She went on to breeding with the help from some Ancient genetics to give birth to the first Tok'ras."_

"Mercurio," I had said. I, or Selmak rather, remembered the name of the father.

"_Yes, Mercurio was the name of the donor of the genetic material. He is also the creator of the Claviger, and the Key_."

"The what," asked Daniel?

"_The Key, the Claviger creates the Key. It is genetically engineered to alter Goa'uld physiology. Mercurio also made sure that no one else became the Key. He did not believe that anyone else should take the risk or sacrifice other then himself_."

"Whoa! If Mercurio was the first and he made the device to only use him for the Key, then why did it take Jack and Tilly," Daniel asked as he frowned at that thought. "Is Jack a descendant of Mercurio?"

"_Tilly had been a mistake I believe. I am not sure, but the Key sent her back_." She paused a bit before she continued, "_Mercurio had eventually died in the physical sense, but not before the second Claviger was built and not before he and his followers went forth to re-establish the Ancient gene into the matrix of the second evolution of humans on Earth. He and the others were able to control the illness and isolate it within themselves, so as to not spread it through the populous. I do not know how they did this but it worked. Mercurio went on through the millenniums from one life to another, biding his time until it was right moment to activate the Claviger again. His followers traveled along the same path as he_."

"SG-1?" I concluded.

"_Yes, but they are not the only ones. There are many. Including you. There are, however, a part missing that Mercurio summoned to him a short time ago. Parts that may help complete the formation of the Key. A part of himself_."

Daniel's face furrowed in concentration trying to figure out the part that could have been missing, then a light bulb appeared to go off as I looked at him. "Jon! He is the part that he needed."

"Who is Jon?" I asked.

"The clone of O'Neill," Teal'c informed.

"That's right. I had forgotten about him. I did not know he still lived."

"Yes. Thor was kind enough to repair the flaw in his DNA so he could live a normal life. Well, normal for Jack." Daniel stated. "Parcae, what could Jon provide that Jack did not already have? They are essentially the same, right?"

"_Strength."_

That was all she said. Then something caught her attention. She glided - that is the only word to describe it - over to the pod that Sam and Tilly were in. She stopped at the foot of the pods and proceeded to extend her wings out in an arched fashion towards their heads. Parcae's natural glow became brighter for a moment. It felt like an eternity before her glow diminished and she furled her wings. She turned to us and said, "_They have been seized by an old enemy that will not die_."

Daniel was the first to exlaim, "Abducted? Right? That is what you're telling us? That they've been kidnapped...but they are still here."

"_Their essence has been stolen. It..._" she stopped to close her eyes for a moment, then opened them. "_...Appears to be the one you have vanquished before. The one that is not entirely of your world or...Oma's_."

Everyone turned to look at Oma and Daniel sighed, "Anubus."

Oma smiled with sadness in her eyes and nodded in agreement.

I turned back to Parcae and asked, "Why?"

"_In hope of stopping Mercurio_."

Daniel

This has got to be the strangest yet. To top it all off we are standing here doing nothing to help. There has got to be something to help them.

"Parcae, you said Jack, or Mercurio, had followers when he went forth after the first Claviger and that we are apart of them?"

"_Yes_."

"Do you think that there might be something that Mercurio may have left for us with the Claviger? Something that could help him?" I had asked hoping we could do something, anything. Parcae and her fellow Alliance representatives looked at us for a moment and then at each other as if in a psychic conversation.

"_Possible_."

"May I look at the Claviger? There might be something there that could help us."

"You may look at the Claviger," Oma had answered.

"Oma, or who ever, when I was on Baal's ship the waves that hit us had incapacitated Baal and about half of the Jaffas. Is that how Jack or Mercurio will change the Goa'uld?" I inquired.

Lya moved forward and smiled with a tilt of her head and said, "Maybe. During the first healing of the Goa'uld it was with a touch by the hand of the Key," she said while holding out her hand, palm up. "But there were no waves such as these during the first time. So maybe this is the part of the alteration that Mercurio made. We cannot be positive.

Thor came forward to inform Jacob that he had a message coming through from the Tok'ra.

As Jacob was occupied I looked at the Claviger. The four sides of the cube were covered with the different marking from the four races, but the top had diverse markings. They seem familiar but I could not place them. All five sides had what appeared to be inscriptions surrounding each of the jewels. If they say the same thing then this would help as a Rosette Stone of sorts. God I wish I had my books. I turned to Lya first and asked her to translate the Nox side first. Then asked Oma for her translation of the Ancient's side. Both had given the same response...'The Past, Present, and Future is the Key to humanity'.

That is strange. The inflections are showing that 'The Key' is the object, not the subject or the verb. Since the Ancient language is similar to Latin that would mean that Jack, being the Key, is the culmination of the Past, Present, and Future to bring about Humanity.

So how is that supposed to help us? I could not think. That is when I noticed the symbols on the four corners of the top around the amulet. Each symbol was different and unknown to me. But one symbol drew my attention. It was like a magnet. I reached out with a forefinger to trace the design. That is when I felt a jolt shoot through me. I with drew my finger and stared at it. Flashes of images began to play in my head, a long dead memory of a past that I no longer lived.

_-Flashback-_

"Mercurio! How can you do this again? We bearly survived the first attempt. Please tell me. What are the odds that you will be able to get it right the second time and what about our race?" Deucalion asked him. Deucalion was standing next to the bed with a young lady at his side, his wife Pyrrhae.

Mercurio was lying on a bed with a cover up to his chest. His wife Caelestis was at his side wiping his forehead with a cooling cloth. She is a vision of loveliness with a white flowing robe and hair to match. The sadness in her eyes is not hidden as she looked upon her husbands face. "Why, my love, do you not allow another? We are all willing to take your place." She had always given him the strength to carry on. The power to over come all odds.

As Mercurio looked at her he reached out a weak hand and said, "this I understand, but I will not accept any other to do my 'dirty' work."

Deucalion, a young man of thirty spoke up and said, "We realize you do not want anyone else to take on what you perceive as your responsibility, but allow us..." as he raised is arms and spread them out to indicate the people in the room, "...to at least help in your next attempt."

Mercurio looked at him for a few moments. Deucalion was a tall, well built man. He had the ability to talk anyone into an agreement and he can interpret thousands of languages across the galaxy. Then Mecurio moved his gaze to the young lady next to him. He had to smile for Pyrrhae was talented as well. She had the ability to keep us working as a unit. She stands only 5'3" but she can be taller than life when the time warrants. Her soft auburn hair flows in waves down to her shoulders and her amber eyes give off the warmth of flames. She linked her arms around her husband as she noticed Mecurio's eyes on her. He smiled at her before moved his gaze to the next occupant in the room, Tutoris.

Tutoris can be the tall silent type, but also speaks his mind when the need arises. He has always been by Mercurio's side since childhood. He is like a big brother to him. Always protecting Mercurio from all threats of harm that might come his way. He is the shield.

Mercurio looked at his closest friends he saw the answer he needed in their faces. "Yes! You can help. In fact, that will be perfect," he said nothing else and proceeded to get out of bed.

"No! You need to lie down. You are not strong enough to leave your bed." Caelestis urged as she tried to block his way.

"My love," he said looking at her as he beseeched her, "I am dead already. Please, this will solve a problem I had with the Claviger and you all can help," he stated as he looked at everyone in turn. "We will need Parcae's help as well. Deucalion, please contact her and meet us in my laboratory.

Mercurio's laboratory was just as spartan as his living quarters. In the center was a table with the Claviger sitting in the center. Mercurio was sitting in a chair and leaning on the table for support. Caelestis was beside him lending her support as well. On his other side was Tutoris, who kept a close eye on his friend. Deucalion and Pyrrhae were opposite Mercurio. Parcae had sat in a backless chair next to Tutoris.

"Parcae, thank you for coming so quickly. I believe I figured out a solution to a problem I have with the Claviger, but I need you to help our path when the time comes. I know about the no interference rule the Firlings have about the future thing, but I need to know if we take the road of 'novus ortus' (rebirth) that we all will be there when the time comes for the activation of the Claviger."

Parcae stood up and nod her head and spread her wings to their full extent and reached up to the celling with them. Her glow intensified. She placed a hand on the Claviger and one on Mercurio's head, and then closed her eyes. The room started to vibrate, the occupants began to shimmer, and small balls of light emerged from each to rise to the center of the table and hover above the Claviger. Each light was a different color. A white ball touched one corner of the top panel, which was generated from Caelestis. An amber light found another corner, which was from Pyrrhae. Deucalion was green and settled opposite corner from Pyrrhae's. Tutoris found the last corner with a red ball. The final light was an aquamarine blue and berthed upon the center jewel. When all of the glows subsided and Parcae were once again sitting in her chair, Mercurio spoke again with the rasp of his fading life. "Thank you." He sat back and looked at Caelestis. "Go out and follow me on the path of 'novus ortus'." His breathing became more labored. He reached out blindly for Caelestis hand. "Our son needs to continue the line."

"Our son? How did you know?" she breathed. "I was going to tell you before you..." she could not finish the last, for she knew that this was the end. She looked into his eyes with a tear in hers then leaned forward to place her last kiss on his lips when he gave his last breath.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven 

Daniel

"Holly Hannah!" I said as I shook myself from the flash of...memory.

Jacob looked at me with raised eyebrows and a smirk, for I just used one of his and Sam's expressions, not an O'Neillism. "What is it Daniel?"

"I...ahm...I..." I could not find the words to explain what I saw or felt. I turned to Parcae for help. She smiled and inclined her head, but would not say a word. "We need to get Sam and Tilly back. Jack will be needing our help when he is ready." I turned to Oma to see if maybe we could get some help from that area since Anubis was at one time an Ascended. "We need to get them away from Anubis. Please help, or this will all be in vain. Mercurio will not succeed a second time."

"We are here strictly as observers, Daniel. We cannot interfere," Oma replied.

"You've got to be kidding, right? You all have already interfered. You need to finish what you have started," I implored. I could not believe that she is standing there and giving me the exact same bullshit as before. I remember quite a bit of things from being an ascended being and one of them was the stubbornness of the others about the non-interference rule. Also, how Oma was real good with walking the line between the rules. I just stared at her for a moment. There has to be something to get her to help.

"How did Anubis ascend?" I asked while watching her for a reaction. I saw none, but I suspected she might have a hand in it since she is notorious for that kind of work.

Parcae moved closer to me and said, "You have it within you to help them. You just need to look deeply within yourself."

Oh great, another Oma. I see why Jack tends to get fed up with them so easily. I am getting there myself. "Look, that is wonderful and all, but we do not have that kind of time. Plus, I do not think I will be strong enough to confront Anubis if it arises.

"You will light the candle when the time comes." Oma intoned.

"O.K.-o.k." I said and thought for a moment. To get deep enough I needed to maybe...I looked at Teal'c and thought of how he meditates even after Junior was long gone. He had shown me several times how, but I never could get to deep, although I did connect on the memories to help Bra'tac and Ry'ac at one time. Maybe with Teal'cs help we can do this together.

"Teal'c, do you think we could kal'no'rem together. It might help us get a chance to rescue Sam and Jack's little girl. I believe this will work, but I'm going to need your help.

Parcae glided forward and placed a hand on my arm and spoke again, well if not moving her lips construe as speaking, in her singsong voice, "You do have it within you to do this." She looked at Teal'c, "You will be a significant part as well." she placed her other hand on Teal'cs arm as well. "I will be leaving very soon but know this...Love does conquer all," she smiled and started to glow but left her hands on us. She was starting to intensify her glow; my arm began to surge with the feel of power and a sense of strength that spread from my arm up to the rest of the body. By the time she left our presence, I was very confident in the path that we needed to take in the next step to get the girls back. I was sure Teal'c had experienced the same sudden inspiration.

"Thor, do you have a place were Teal'c and I can have privacy with the pods near us when we start our meditation." Before I could say another word the pods, Teal'c and I began glowing, as normal Asgard transportation was being activated to send us to some other room on the ship. Thor must have known about kal'no'rem because there were candles materializing everywhere as we were settling down. Sam and Tilly were stationed to the right of the door in the small room. Teal'c began to light the candles on the opposite side. When I started lighting the ones near the pods the lights in the room decreased to a very low glow to accompany the candles. When we finished I looked around and it struck me funny and started to laugh.

"DanielJackson what has brought on this facetiousness?"

"What Oma said earlier..."?

"The one where she said, 'you will light the candle when the time comes'."

"Yes, it makes sense now," as I spread my arms to encompass the room."

"Indeed."

Sam

I knew I should be pretty upset right now but all I could think of was what Tilly said before Anubis showed up. Jack loves me. Me.Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, astrophysicist extraordinaire. I could not stop the stupid grin I knew must be plastered on my face. Tilly lifts her head to look at me. She must have sensed my vivacious emotions that thought had evoked.

That was something else that had me thinking. Tilly's abilities, what kind did she have and how strong were they?

"You said you looked into your father's heart and saw me there."

"Yes," she said with a tilt to her head. Probably wondering what has gotten me into this mood.

"How did you do that, look into his heart I mean?"

Tilly shrugged her shoulders and said, "I don't know exactly, but it is like reaching out and opening a door with my thoughts."

"Is there anything else you can do, besides read minds?"

"You mean telepathy? Yes."\

I just stared at her for a moment in surprise. She is six years old, right? Was I like that at six? I could not focus on that to clearly because her statement as a whole reminded me of a certain someone, who will remain nameless, that does not reveal to much either. Because she was definitely not elaborating further.

"Well?" I asked. Hoping for her to get the hint.

"Well, what?" she volleyed back.

"What other things can you do with your mind?"

"I can...think," she replied with a giggle.

"Oh, you can, can you?" I smiled at her and saw an answering glitter in her eyes. Eyes that are so much like Jack's.

"You love him too," that was a statement not a question.

"You're changing the subject. I know, because I learned from the best."

Tilly looked sheepish at me and sighed, "I do not know what all I can do yet. I'm still learning. You know about reading minds. I can just pick-up the emotions with the slightest touch of my mind. If I go deeper then I can pick-up a mental conversation that everyone tends to have with themselves. However, I can go deeper, but not with out concentration that leaves me very weak. I also can look at anything and remember it instantly when needed."

"Photographic memory?"

"Yes, and I think I can heal the injured."

"You think?"

"There were a couple of injured animals I believed I helped. I could not be positive."

"Tilly, I have a thought. Can you try to reach out and see if you can feel another mind to help us out of here? Where ever here is?"

"I don't know. That would be like going deep in someone's mind. I will have to focus hard to generate the strength to reach out."

"You're sure you are only six?"

"Oh for crying out loud. I wish everyone would quit asking me that."

"What!" I started to laugh so hard. It was so strange to hear that come out of her mouth. There is no doubt that she is Jack's child. Wait...a...minute. "Tilly...how much of your abilities does your daddy have?"

She looked at me through the veil of her long lashes and said, "All of them," she hesitated, then added, "and more."

Can you say 'bomb shell'? Damn, that little...

"Sam!" Tilly cried. "I hear something."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure," she tilted her head back over my shoulder. "It sounds like a voice."

'sssaaammm.'

'Sssaaammm.'

'SSaamm'

"Sam"

"What?" I answered back. It was not Anubis. It had to be help. Hopefully. It sounded like Daniel...

'ColonelCarter'

...and Teal'c...but how?

"Where are you?" I shouted.

"Sam! Keep talking we will come to you," Daniel encouraged. His voice seemed to be coming from my left. As I turned to try and see anything in that direction, Tilly wiggled around to get a better look as well.

"I feel them. They are close," Tilly informed.

"Daniel, please listen. Anubis is the one who brought Tilly and I here. I don't know where he went, but he may show up at anytime," while explaining the situation I began to detect movement and it was coming closer. As it grew, the shapes commenced to form the bodies of my teammates and friends.

"How did you find us, and more importantly, where are we?" I asked as I stood up to greet them. Tilly allowed me to hold on to her hand when Daniel and Teal'c came up close to us. "It's good to see you," said Daniel as he reached out for a hug. It was good to see them too.

"Same here, but how do we get out of here?" I said while returning his hug.

"That is a good question," he looked down at Tilly. "Hi, I'm Daniel. You must be Tilly," he said as he extended his hand for a shake.

"Nice to meet you," Tilly replied with a smile on her face. "Can we go now?"

Three pairs of eyebrows climbed up in surprise and they all started to laugh, "You're definitely your father's daughter,"

Daniel gasped between his laughter.

"Geez. I know that. Why does everybody seem to think I have to be reminded all of the time," Tilly said while throwing out her arms in a frustrated manner, then landing her little fists on her hips.

Everyone continued to chuckle softly. "O.k. then, let us vamoose," Daniel said as he pointed in the direction he and Teal'c came from.

Kanan

I never expected any of this. My whole body hurts. Not my host's body, my body. It feels like every nerve ending is on fire. Images keep coming at me from my host's mind. I cannot get a handle on just one of them. They are flying at me with such speed to leave me blinded in their wake.

I am also sensing a change in Jack's body – my host, with the entire sensorial overloaded, no wonder my body hurts. When will it stop? I don't know if I can handle much more. 'Please stop?' I yelled to Jack. 'You're killing me!'

Needless to say, he did not get my message and I continue to struggle with the torture. I tried to withdrawal my connections to my host, but I seem to be paralyzed. None of my body will cooperate with my commands. 'Please, no more. No more, Jack,' I whimpered. 'No more.'

Jack

Who ever said life is too short, was right. Even after witnessing my lives. There never seemed enough time in any of them. I am coming back to my senses finally. I look around and see that I have been engulfed in a cocoon of light with Jon. He opened his eyes and said, "That was a rush."

"Yeah, no kidding."

'Please, no more. No more, Jack. No more,' a faint plea trickled to my awareness.

'Kanan!' I had forgotten about him.

'You blended with Kanan?' Jon mentally asked.

'Yea, but he's not doing so well right now,' I stated. 'Kanan, buddy, can you hear me?'

'Jack?' Kanan enquired weakly.

'I'm here. You alright?'

'Oh...just peachy. You can stop doing what ever your doing now. That really hurt,' Kanan implored.

'Sure. By the way, I would like you to meet Jon. My son,' I said while smiling to Jon who returned it with a nod of agreement.

'Son? I thought...'

'Auh! - Don't finish that. No Jon is a clone of me, a younger clone of me. He and I have agreed to the father/son approach on the subject. You see, we are two distinct individuals that share memories. He is family!'

'Hello Kanan, good to hear you again,' Jon greeted.

'You can hear me?' asked Kanan.

'Yep. Are you starting to feel any better?'

'Yes, I am beginning to get my senses back online. By the way, what happened?'

'We have been going through a metamorphosis. As you can see we're still in our cocoon,' I explained.

'Well, next time leave me out of this,' Kanan whined.

'Awh, poor baby,' Jon quipped.

Kanan apparently decided not to comment, 'Sooo... what now?'

'Good question...we leave,' I said.

'How?'

Jon and I gave each other a look, raised our arms and reached out to start drawing in the energy from our cocoon of light. It started to swirl around us and funneled down to us through our hands.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve 

Fate. What or who is it really? Is it a benevolent being that gets its excitement from causing pain and anguish? But that does not make sense, does it? Any being of benevolent would be a contradiction of the term. So it would not be a creature that would care about the welfare of the life forms in this universe, would they?

That would seem to be the case with people of SG-1. They just do not seem to get a break with fate. It seems to deal out pain and anguish in mega amounts with them. Not that the rest of the universe does not have their fair share, but it seems so curious as how their strengths and closeness have helped with each other over the years, and the way they have survived the perils. Like the time Daniel had with Sha're and then so cruelly taken away with only a short time together; or Jack's son taken from him with such a tragic end; also Sam's struggle with a love in her heart that threatens to overwhelm her because of the responsibilities and career that threatens to end the prospect of a happy ending. Even Teal'c has had his share of fate with his sacrifices to free his people. Fate has brought together the most unusual group of people and they are the best this galaxy has in defeating the Goa'uld. Is that what fate has in store for them?

-Ying & Yang – Good & Evil – Right & Wrong...the Balance of the Universe. What is considered a balance between the two? Why do we need to have Evil anyways? Why can we not just have a nice and peaceful little galaxy where everyone loves and cherish one another? Is there a written law that says there has to be a Cain for every Able?

I do not understand, are we just Fate's game pieces on the Chest board of life? How can there be control when everything is already planned out for us? Is there such a thing called control? Is that what the Goa'uld are actually fighting against, Fate? To prove to her they have the control. If that is the case then I think it is about time Fate stepped in and prove to the Goa'uld that they do not have the control and never will.

If it takes away the Goa'uld control will that mean we will never have control ourselves? Is it just an illusion? Or is Fate just an illusion? What is real, and what is the illusion, that is the real question.

So who is Parcae? What is her role in all of this; and, does she control it all? If so, why did she put me into this position? I love my brother and I love Daniel. How can I live with the guilt of what I did? Will Daniel hate me if he finds out? That is what scares me the most. When I tried to save him that one time. I had not known any of my feelings for him was love. Not until he tried to fight Anubis. Actually, when he tried to save his friend, I was starting to understand. Yes, he did not succeed in helping him ascend but he still managed to help his other friends to give O'Neill his chance to escape.

Fate, is that Parcae? Is she the one holding all of the cards? If so, why did she have to pit me against my brother?

My brother...

Should I explain to them about him or keep silent and not interfere? This is tearing me apart. I love Daniel and I would try to do anything to help him live. But my brother is involved here. He is out to destroy the man I love. That is why I really pulled Daniel away when he was about to confront Anubis at Abydos. Another mess I have to live with.

I guess that is why the Others picked me to represent the Ascendeds, because of my connection to the situation. I just do not believe I would be the best, not by a long shot, especially after Abydos.

Being an Ascended does not make me perfect or all seeing and all knowing. Ascended has it's responsibilities to the lives we touch. That is way we have rules to dictate our involvement, but why me? Is it because of my past mistake? I have tried to atone for my failures, particularly the one.

My brother...Marcius/Anubis.

Yes...I, Oma de Sala, helped my brother Marcius to ascend, not knowing he was a Goa'uld (Anubis). That is why ever since then I have tried to atone for my guilt by helping those deserving ascension achieve it. I know the Others allow it as long as I adhere to the strict rules set by them.

So, here I am standing on Thor's ship watching all of this and debating whether or not to help them out. I just saw Parcea do a little to help with Daniel and Teal'c and then vanished. Where? I do not know.

Thor moved the gentlemen and the medical pods to a quiet location on the ship; Lya, Thor, Jacob/Selmack and I were in the control room; and I was about to move over to talk with Lya when one of Thor's alarms went off. "What is it, Thor?" Jacob/Selmak asked.

Thor moved his controls around and I could feel tension radiating off of him. Next the pods where back, but not just two as before, now there were four. Sam, Tilly and Teal'c appeared to be unconscious, but well. However, Daniel seemed to be going through seizures. Lya and I both moved over to see if we could help stabilize Daniel.

**Jacob**

I feel like I'm in a world wind of chaos. Sammy is in trouble, along with Tilly; the Tok'ra called to inform me that most of them are ill – why, I do not know. Now, Daniel and Teal'c are unconscious as well and Daniel is having seizures. To top it all off Jack is gone...out of touch...unable to get in contact with to let him know what is going on.

If and when this is all over, I am going to sit Jack down and have a nice long talk about a few things. For one, he has got to stop being such a hero and start taking care of a few personal things in his life – his daughter Tilly and my daughter Sam.

I was jarred out of my musing when Oma and Lya started flickering. Well, Lya flickered. Oma started to glow and change into her true form. Daniel began to calm a bit before Lya and the pod faded out. Oma intensified her powerful light and also disappeared.

Not even a minute past when Sammy, Tilly and Teal'c woke up disoriented and calling for Daniel. I rushed over to Sammy to help her sit up once the cover was removed.

"Easy Sammy. You have been out awhile," I soothed.

"Where's Daniel?" She croaked even as she looked around the room hoping to find him.

"I don't know sweetie. But Oma and Lya were helping him. He was in some kind of seizure before they vanished."

"Sam!" cried Tilly as she scrambled out of her pod to run to her. "Sam!" her voice going up in octaves along with the emotion she was experiencing. Sam got out of her pod with my assistance. She pulled Tilly into a hug to comfort her. "Ssshhh, it's all right. Ssshh." She rocked her back and forth.

"But...what about Daniel?" Tilly asked.

"He is getting help as we speak. Oma de Sala and Lya are both helping him right now," Sam explained while brushing away tears from her cheek and hugged her some more. "It will be all right."

"That...thing was scary," she said.

"Yes it was."

"I wish my Daddy was here."

"So do I. So do I," Sam said like invoking what seemed to be a magical spell in a soothing whisper, while still rocking Tilly to comfort her.

The Claviger began to glow and a beam shot out near us and a blue glowing orb appeared about four feet off of the floor. It swelled to the size of a human or two. The glow reached a zenith and then began to fade leaving behind two people, both wearing the same smile. "You rang," they spoke in unison.

"Daddy!" shouted Tilly as she practically threw herself at Jack.

Jack bent down to scoop her into his arms, "Whoa, be gentle with the old man," Jack quipped.

"Yeah, he isn't as young as he used to be," said the other. Which I finally figured out he must be Jack's clone. Especially with that last remark. How did he get here?

"Jon, how did you get here?" Sam asked before I did and she also gave me a name. I was wondering how they were going to work that part out.

Jon turned to look at Jack as if they were silently communicating with each other. Then Jack turned to look at Sam. "I snagged him. I didn't want him to feel left out." Jon laughed at Jack's antics.

Jack looked at Tilly and said, "Sweetie, this is..."

"I know, my brother, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah," a humorous Jack supplied while Jon knelt down in front of them to offer Tilly a hug.

"It's nice to meet you – ah...Sis."

I love a happy scene as much as the next person, but we needed to get something done about Daniel, the Tok'ra and the Goa'uld.

"Ah ahm!" I cleared my throat to get everyone's attention. "We need to see if we can maybe help Daniel."

Jack and Jon looked at Tilly when I mentioned Daniel's name. From the looks of it they were doing a silent communication thing with her as well.

Sam was standing there staring at them, frozen with apparent shock for she made no attempt to approach or say anything to them. That is when I noticed all three O'Neills stopped what ever they were doing and stared at Sam. Sam looked spooked with her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. Thank goodness there were no flies on the ship. They would be coming in for a landing.

Sam soon started to nod her head as if agreeing to something. I could not stand it any more. "What is it? What's going on?"

Sammy blinked a few times and then focused on me, "I can hear them talking."

"Talking?" I looked over to Jack and he nodded his head in affirmative along with Jon and Tilly. "Holly Hannah!"

"As do I," rumbled Teal'c from behind me. I turned to look at Teal'c when, out of the blue, Lya and Daniel's pod came back without Daniel.

"Lya?" Jack inquired with the single word. Hoping she would give a positive answer.

"I am sorry, but I could not maintain a hold on Daniel," she said shaking her head dejectedly.

"What of Oma?" I had asked.

"I believed she followed Daniel. I, however, am not able to locate them for you at this time," explained Lya.

"Have you seen Parcae?" Jack asked Lya but it was Teal'c who answered. "She was able to help Daniel and I to obtain entrance to the realm where ColonelCarter and TillyO'Neill were held by Anubis. She left after the assistance.

"Anubis?" asked Jon. "He had you and Tilly," pointing at Sam.

"Yes, Teal'c and Daniel helped us escape but right at the moment before we could exit, Anubis showed up and started throwing some kind of lightening bolts at us. Daniel yelled for us to continue while he handled Anubis. But of course Teal'c and I protested and he reminded us about Tilly. Before we could say more Daniel was struck by one of the bolts. He...started to ...convulsing," she began to stammer "and that assssshole started...laughing. We wanted to stay to help Daniel – but something dragged us away." Sam had started to cry. She normally would hide it, something she always did. She would never have shown emotion like this in front of so many people. –That is when I realized that these people were not just anyone. They are her family, all of them. Well, most of them. Thor is still standing there watching us at his console. Lya is near by as well. Both are considered close friends to SG-1.

I moved closer to Sam and held her for support and to let her know that I was there for her. I was never good with that kind of affection but I am mellowing with age.

Then I remembered something. "Jack? What happened to Kanan?"

Jack never lowered his head or flashed his eyes like we normally do before he spoke, "I am here and I am well." His voice had the tonal quality of a Tok'ra though.

"No side affects from what that device did?" I asked.

"Well...I wouldn't say that," he hinted. He definitely had been with Jack way to long.

"Then what changed?" I prompted.

"I'll tell you later. For now, suffice it to say the Tok'ra will benefit from it."

"Very cryptic, but I will wait."

Jack's face broke into one of his rare grins and he spoke as Jack, "Jacob, we'll get together after all of this is over and discuss the Tok'ra future."

It looked like he was going to speak up again when Thor's ship gave a huge shudder. It felt like one of those California quakes I had experienced years ago. It settled for a second, and then started up once more. This one lasted longer and left everyone in stunned silence until Jack asked Thor what was happening.

Thor shook his bulbous head and continued working his consoles trying to get the answers.

A third quake, that is the only description I could give it, hit again and with it Parcae appeared in front of Jack. She bowed her head and then looked into Jack's eyes unblinkingly. He returned the stare. I assumed it was telepathy at work but looking around I could see that the others appeared to be in the dark as to what was being said. The quake stopped and Parcae did a vanishing act once more.

All of us just watched Jack to see if he would elaborate for us.

"Thor!" Jack directed our gaze to Thor, "Take the ship to the center of this galaxy as soon as you can." With out a conformation from Thor that he heard or understood, Jack turned and addressed Jon, "Stay here and make sure everything is in order for later."

"Daddy! Don't go?" Tilly nervously said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into the side of his neck.

**Tilly**

I have no idea what that lady may have said to Dad, I could not read a thing from their minds, but I feel that it had to do with that friend of his, Daniel, and the mean guy. I found that it was scary not knowing if I will ever see my father again. "Please, stay," I had employed.

Dad had cradled me closer and rubbed my back. "Sweetheart, I have to. Jon will be here to help you and the others."

For a moment I thought of my life before meeting my Daddy, it was nice and pleasant and boring, however, now that I have meet him I know I don't want to lose him. Life has been fun, exciting and alive. "Be careful. I don't want to lose you, now that I've finally met you. I love you!" I said to his neck. Not daring to look into his eyes for fear of seeing a goodbye.

"Easy sweetie, I need you to go with Sam and stay with her. I'll be back, but right now I need to go help Daniel," Daddy explained. "You know I have to get him back."

Why does he have to do it? But he is right we need to help Daniel and get ready for the coming events.

Daddy set me down and guided me towards Sam. He stood back away from everyone and smiled that great heart-melting smile of his and mentally said, 'I'll see you soon.'

He started to glow with a faint blue light and started to fade away.

'Fair day and be well, Daddy.'


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Jack**

I watched my daughter fade away as I transferred myself to a different plane of existence. She is very important to me. Not because she is my daughter but because she is our link for our future as well as our past. I recognized her soul.

As I contemplated on her and our situation I started to notice the Tempestas plane coming into view along with the scene that is playing out there.

The Tempestas plane is aptly named, for the sky has dark gloomy clouds hanging over a land devoid of life except Daniel. He is lying on the ground in a fetal position, and I am hoping he is still alive.

When I reach him I check his pulse and breath a sigh of relief. I laid my hands on his head and chest and concentrated on his injuries. I could feel the pain within him and I siphoned it into me. The pain is intense but soon diminishes as I slowly heal myself. I do not know how long it took before I regained my awareness but when I opened my eyes there was Daniel holding my head in his lap and mentally encouraging me to come around, 'Come on Jack, wake up.'

'Hey,' I croaked.

'Hey, yourself, you going to be alright?' He asked.

'Yeahsureyoubetcha,' I whispered my reply. I was still a little weak from helping Daniel.

He started to shake his head in understanding when he tensed and moved his head in a tilt to look at me better, 'You can understand what I am saying without me opening my mouth?'

'Yes, Daniel, It is called telepathy,' I mentally shot back.

'Oh, very funny, ha ha. How?...I mean, how can I do it?' He asked while I was trying to sit up and look at him better.

'I'm not sure, but both Sam and Teal'c should be able to, also.' I informed. I was finally getting my strength back and started to stand and Daniel was following suit.

'Sweet,' he said with a cheesy grin.

He is amazing sometimes. I looked at him and realized that both Oma and Anubis where not here. 'Daniel? Where are Oma and Anubis?'

'I haven't a clue. One minute I'm trying to fight off Anubis' attack the next Oma is in his face yelling at him. That in itself is unusual. She was saying something about knowing...Marcius was in there somewhere, Anubis screamed out 'no', then Oma embraced him, and they both did their glowy thing that the Acsendants are so good at and vanished. That is about when I passed out.' After Daniel's little narrative I noticed something about his feelings that was radiating off of him.

'You're in love with Oma.' That was not a question. I knew the truth. I could feel it just as intensely as I feel for Sam.

I finally found a way to make a linguist speechless. He looked like a fish out of water with his mouth open and gasping for air.

I reached over and closed his mouth. "It's all right Danny. I won't tell. But when did you realized your feelings for her?"

"After my ascension," he said with the anguish of the moment. "Jack, can your help her? Please! I do not think I am strong enough to do it.'

I looked at him for a moment. He still can get me to do almost anything. All he had to do is use those 'Baby Blues' in that hurt puppy way and do that self-hugging thing. I shake my head in resignation and said, "I will try. However, you need to get back to Thor's ship. Jon is going to need your help, Deucalion."

Daniel stopped his self-hugging and dropped both his arms, "How did you know? I found out from..."

"...from touching your jewel on the Claviger," I finished the statement for him.

"Yeah, Mercurio," he just stares into my eyes, "Jack?" Daniel asked a thousand questions in that one word.

"Later, Daniel, I will tell your everything later. Right now you need to get back and I will go see if I can help Oma."

"Ahhm...I think I need a little help here. I'm not sure about making it back on my own. I'm having a hard time focusing properly," he shyly explained.

"Just a second. Let me see what I can do," as I placed a hand on his shoulder for a moment to pick up a connection. Then I reached out with my mind to my 'Mini-Me'...Jon.

'Yes Jack, what can I do for ya?' Jon replied readily.

'Daniel needs a bit of help returning. Can you feel the connection I have established?'

'Yeah. Just like fishing.'

I laughed and squeezed Daniel's shoulder and instructed him to think of Jon.

"Jon?"

"Yep, he'll bring ya in."

Daniel closed his eyes and I let go of him and stood back and watched him fade away...now to find Oma and Anubis.

If they were using some of the Ascendents' powers then they would be in the only place that they will not be detected by them. The Regnum Mysterium...

'I so don't like this!' I thought.

Stealth is what is needed, but there is no back door to there and it is not a very large part of space and time. So, I decided to do a frontal assault and prepare, sort of speak, for every contingency.

As I focused on the area where I needed to go, I began to visualize a shield around me as well. 'Multi-tasking, don't you love it?' I had gotten a lock on it almost immediately. I took a breath and pictured myself diving into a river, expecting turbulence.

When I emerged into the realm of Regnum Mysterium the first thing I sensed was pain. 'Damn. I was so hoping that wouldn't be part of it.' The second was the bright red glow surrounding two figures in the distance. I moved closer and saw that the red glow looked more like a column of pulsating energy. Oma seemed to be holding up but weakening. Anubis' body was starting to fade.

'O'Neill,' Oma mentally whispered to me, 'Please help me pull the essence of my brother away from the Goa'uld.'

Brother? I would never have guessed. Damn...all right O'Neill get into gear.

I moved forward and place my hand on the column to test its properties. There was a tingling at first, and then it increased to emotional friction that brought a heat to the touch. It was getting stronger as I pushed forward to reach Oma. The Emotional Friction field accompanied with the initial pain when I had first entered the Regnum Mysterium was requiring me to use my multi-tasking skills to maintain control to get in there with Oma to link our strength to help her "brother". I reached out with my energy, as I merged into the column, to Oma to give her a boost in her struggles. She was fading as well. When I finally connected completely the energy column started to shift its coloring. The pulses of energy began to swirl and churn. Anubis' body has begun to sink to the ground and was fading away fast. What were left were two separate clouds of energy; one was the dark cloud that haunted the SGC after his fleet was destroyed, but darker; the other was what appeared to be an Ascendant with its bright white light.

Oma practically had a death grip on the later, her brother. She was drawing him to her and she was changing into her Ascendant form at the same time and I was giving her as much of my energy to help.

Then finally, like a cork from a bottle, the three of us flew back. Oma and her brother were suddenly in their physical form, and we landed hard, the column dissipated into a spectacular explosion of multicolor lights, leaving behind a small black cloud hovering where Anubis hovered. As I watched the cloud disintegrated into a small shower of ash.

I lay there trying to catch my breath after I made sure the ashes of Anubis were not going anywhere. A small breeze started to blow across our bodies, both Oma and her brother where in human form and lying next to me unconscious. It is unusual to have a breeze blow in this realm. I asked, "Who is there?" No answer was forth coming, but the breeze picked up and started to scattering the ashes everywhere. After the ashes where blown to the four corners and beyond the breeze died down and vanished.

Not sure who it was, but if I had my guess, it was more than likely one of the Others.

I sat up to get a better look at Oma. She appeared to be fine as I checked her over. She was just exhausted. Her brother was another story. He was very thin and pale. He had no clothes on so I could see his ribs stretching his skin almost into transparency. His hair was long, brown and matted around a face very similar to Oma's in color. He started to stir and gave a weak groan.

I moved over to him, "Easy, don't move." I started to remove my jacket to cover him. When he rolled to his back I laid the jacket over him to comfort him. He opened his eyes and looked at me with a glimmer of recognition and horror flittering across his face. "No, it's alright." I tried to comfort him. "Your freed from Anubis. Ssshh." I placed a hand on his forehead and across his chest over his heart. I called the energy to come forth and help him heal. I could not help his memories, but at least I could get his body into better shape. He slowly relaxed and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

I turned back to Oma to see her watching me. "He will be alright in a little while. He will gain his strength soon. How are you doing?"

She blinked a couple of time before she spoke, "I will be fine, but I do not believe the Others will let me or my brother stay as Ascendents.

"Why not? You got your brother back and you eliminated Anubis, they should be ecstatic.

She finally sat up and looked at her brother. "Because of what I did. I was the one that helped Marcius ascend not knowing about Anubis until it was to late. You see, I had a special connection with Marcius, he is my twin, Anubis used that against me. Hiding within Marcius."

"Well that is not so bad," I pointed out, "Ascended...I mean. That life is fine but life with us humans can be just as great or more."

She looked at me and furrowed her brow, "Is that why you stay instead of ascending? Why you would not let Daniel help you before?"

"Mainly. I do it because I have the ability to affect the future of Earth more directly, hopefully for the better. Plus, I love the fishing," I said as I wiggled my eyebrows at her.

Oma just smiled back and nod her head in understanding. That is when I thought of something. "What is your real name? It's not Oma, right?"

Her smile got bigger and she looked down at her twin. "We were named similarly," she looked back at me with a twinkle in her eyes. "Marsha."

"Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!" I laughingly said. "Who would've thunk it? Big step from Oma."

"Yes, but Oma opened quite a few minds," she said seriously.

"Why?"

Her smile faded as she looked back at her brother. She stroked his face as she decided what to tell me.

"Marcius and I are twins and we always had this connection, even as children. It was strong and very profound. I would be able to sense his physical and mental anguish as well as his happiness. The connection one day had been severed abruptly, not before I felt the extreme pain he had experienced prier to the disconnection. I had tracked him to a valley near our home and found him unconscious near a boulder in a ravine. There was blood both on the boulder and behind his neck. I did not know at the time the significant of it but I had assumed it was from a fall. When he was better he left our home to 'discover the world,' he said. We never got our connection back and he left.

As Ancients we had our abilities but for some reason mine did not sense that Anubis had already taken over Marcius and used his Ancient abilities to block our psychic bond.

I had felt lost without him. I ended up in Sparta, Greece and married.

"Wait...ahh...was that Daniel you married...or at least his soul, right?" I asked. I just realized why I thought Oma...or Marsha, was so familiar. Daniel and I were Spartan soldiers together. That explains a few things, like our closeness and how well we bonded. "Daniel is your soul mate, isn't he?"

She looked at me with a sad smile, "Yes, but it was you he would not leave to join me. He did for a while, but he could not or would not stay away. I still do not understand why."

"Believe me, it is nothing against you. It's just that Daniel still has a job to finish. Something that was started long before you and your brother were originally born."

"The Claviger?"

"Yes. When this is over, try approaching him again, I'm sure things will be different." I pulled her into a one-arm hug and whispered, "I'm positive."

She looked up at me and smiled, "And to think I resented you when Daniel showed more interest to you then me."

"I forgive you," I said with a smirk. I leaned in and kissed the top of her head. "Come on, let's get you and Marcius back. He should be able to regain more of his energy once we leave here."

Marsha and I had gathered Marcius between us and started exiting Regnum Mysterium. As soon as we were out of there, Marsha and Marcius began to glow with an amber light and looked like they were being pulled away one cell at a time, sort of like sand in an hourglass. The look on Marsha's face was one of resignation. She mouthed 'Thank you' before she and her brother were completely gone.

I was standing there for a moment contemplating their future, when I perceived something or someone. An awareness of a power or a being in a distance and it was coming closer. I felt an urgency to leave. As I was departing I felt something impact my back hard, which threw me forward to the next plane I was aiming for at a greater speed then I had intended.

I knew I was not going to like the final impact. I was moving too fast to change direction or to terminate my approach, because what ever had hit me injured my back and was causing a severe burning sensation along my lower spine and paralysis down the legs. I started to materialize on the deck of Thor's ship. I felt my body slam hard into the floor. It reminded me of the HALO drop I had in '91, except there was no sand to make it easier. The last thing I remembered was Sam's shocked face and Tilly's screams before everything begun to gray around the edges and then like a light switch everything went completely black.

17


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Teal'c**

I could not believe my eyes when I saw Daniel standing there. He was alive. Everyone crowded in to welcome him back, except me. I was happy to just stand back and watch. When everything calmed down I let him know I was just as happy to see him as well. "Welcome back DanielJackson."

"Thank you, Teal'c."

I noticed O'Neill's little girl standing near Daniel and pulling on his shirt to get his attention. He looked down at her and asked, "Yes Tilly, what is it you want?" Her little forehead was scrunched into a frown trying to form the question I am sure everyone wanted to ask, "Where is my Daddy?"

Daniel knelt down to look at Tilly eye to eye. "Sweetheart, your Daddy went to help Oma, the lady that was helping me fight against Anubis."

"He was that bad guy that took Sam and me, and tried to hurt us when we were trying to get back?"

"The one and the same."

"May I see?" she had asked.

I looked around and noticed a few brows had hiked up with that question. I was sure I knew what she was asking and I did not think it was wise. "That may not be wise TillyO'Neill."

"Tilly," Daniel soothed while placing his hands on her upper arms and using his thumbs to rub her shoulders. "There really is not much to see. Your father found me hurt and alone. He helped me to get back here before he went in search for Oma."

Then Jon came up to Daniel and Tilly, "It's all right Tilly I can still feel him. He is not hurt or in any trouble. He is fine."

"How can you feel him and I cannot?" she pouted.

Jon smiled and took one of Tilly's hands, "Maybe it is because I'm a little older and more mentally developed than you."

I thought that that was a good possibility, but I believed it is more than likely because Jon is O'Neill's clone, but I understood the reasoning behind his decision in not telling her that particular information. When I noticed Tilly's resignation about this situation, something else caught the corner of my eye. The Claviger is still sitting on a console to my right. There was a faint glow coming from a symbol on a corner of the top panel. I moved closer to get a better look. The symbol is made of a green crystal imbedded into the box. It had a faint glow emitting from within. "DanielJackson, is this not the symbol you touched earlier?"

At my call Daniel and all the others gathered around the box to look. "Yes it is."

I looked closer and was drawn to the red one to the right of the one Daniel touched. I reached out to trace it with a forefinger. As I did I saw a room devoid of furniture except for a platform bed which was occupied by a gentleman who appeared gravely ill.

**Tilly**

I hate it when they think I cannot handle certain information. I know I am six years old, but geez, I am smarter than the average. Give me a break.

Jon is good at blocking information that he does not want others to know, so I could not go further than just the surface thoughts without his permission, which I did not get. But...I did pick up some from the others in the room. A word that I do not know, 'clone'. I will find out later, when this is over, hopefully.

Right now Teal'c just touched something on the box that sent me to my Daddy earlier. Well, it was earlier in this time, but I was with Daddy for at least a couple of months. Anyways...Teal'c is in a trance and if someone would just lift me I could see what is going on. Being short has its shortcomings. (Ha, ha)

I hate being short, its no fun.

Teal'c was coming back out of his stupor and looked at Daniel when he asked him, "Did you see...Mercurio as well?"

"Yes, when he died." Teal'c bowed his head. He and Daniel turned as one and looked at Sam.

"What?" she asked.

"Sam, I think you need to touch your corner as well," Daniel informed.

Jon came over to Sam and encouraged her, "Sam, you need to touch your jewel, but you need to know that it is of a past that has all of us there. One where you and Jack were together and Jack dies." Jon placed a placating hand on her arm.

She looks at Jon and scowled. She is another that is hard to pick up any deep information but I got that word again, 'clone'.

Sam moved over to that thing, the box, and reached for a corner. How she knew which corner I do not know. I still cannot see!

After a moment had past, Sam became aware again. She had tears trickling down her cheeks. I reached her side and grabbed a hand in my two and squeezed. "It is alright. Do not cry."

She looked at me and smiled, lifting me up and held on for a hug. "Thank you, Tilly. Your right it will be alright."

"Jon? Who is the fourth person? At first I thought it was Oma but now..." Daniel inquired.

Jon just smiled and said, "You're right, it is not Oma." He turned and looked at us." Tilly, will you come here?"

"Me?" I stared at him like he was crazy. I am just a kid. (I know it's convenient when I need it to be.)

"Tilly?" exclaimed Sam, Daniel, and Jacob.

Teal'c just raised an eyebrow.

Sam's father came closer to her and asked, "This will not cause any problems for her will it? She is so young."

Let me tell you, if looks could kill he would have been fried where he stood. I have never been so up set about my age as I was at that moment. (I know it swings both ways with the convenience thing.)

"Hey! I just got back from being with Daddy and survived. I can handle this," I said indignity.

Jacob shocked face said it all, "Sorry. I did not mean to offend." There was a light chuckle all around, while everyone tried to hide his or her mouths.

"You need to touch your jewel on the Claviger," Jon encouraged me. He reached for me and lifted me out of Sam's arms and carried me to the box. I saw three of the corner jewels glowing faintly. I reached for the amber colored one and touched it lightly.

**Daniel**

OK, this was weird. According to the vision Pyrrhae was my wife and was the one that is responsible for the amber jewel, and we have Tilly touching it. It is hard to get my head around that logic. I know about reincarnation and the idea we come back as different gender and all. But I also knew about the part that one group tends to follow the same timeline. I did not, however, expected to see a six year old and know her to be my wife from another time. Weird.

Just as I finished that thought Tilly returned to conscious awareness. She tilted her head in my direction and raised an eyebrow and gave a patented O'Neill smirk.

"Yea, Yea, let's get on with it will ya." I said to the room at large.

Thor spoke up about that time to inform us that we have arrived to the center of the 'Milky Way' galaxy.

"Thanks buddy," Jon said and proceeded to reach out, "Now it is my turn," and placed his hand on the center crystal. The box started to vibrate and the crystal began to glow and then pulsed in a syncopated beat which caused the side panel crystals to answer in return, as the symphony increased the four symbol shaped jewels increased their emission of light which seemed to generate more power to the main crystals.

I could almost hear drums and a deep base in it. I felt the vibrations through my whole body. If you ever stand on a corner and hear a car radio five minutes before you see the car and wonder what it would feel like being inside that car. Well, I did not have to imagine any more. I felt like I was going to have a heart attack. Then quite suddenly a huge wave of light and sound exploded from the Claviger and lifted all of us off our feet and landing on our backside.

It took us a little bit of time to regain our senses. I noticed a slight residue in the air. Like a small electrical charge, not much but enough to make the hair on my arms stand up.

"Is everyone alright," Jacob asked as he was holding his head in his hand, "Sam? Tilly?"

"I'm fine," came from Sam.

"Yes, I am alright," said Tilly quietly.

I noticed Jacob still just sitting there and holding his head. "You alright there Jacob? Selmac also?"

"I don't know yet. Give me a minute."

I looked over to see if Teal'c was any better and was surprised to see him lying on the ground unconscious with an aura of blue light surrounding him.

"Teal'c!" I called and ran to check him.

"Don't touch him," yelled Jon. "Let him finish his transformation."

"What transformation? What is happening to him?" I asked.

"He will no long be Jaffa," explained Jon.

The light soon faded and all of us gathered around to help Teal'c. "Teal'c can you hear me?"

"Indeed," He mumbled and rose to a sitting position in one swift and fluid motion. Then something very amazing happened. His golden tattoo falls off and into his lap. He tilts his head to one side and lifts his eyebrows with an unusual surprised look on his face.

"What is it Teal'c?" I asked. He proceeded to lift his shirt to reveal his stomach. The telltale sign of the X of a Jaffa is no longer there.

"I am no longer Jaffa?"

"Yes T, you're not, but will still have an immune system strong enough to keep the life span of a normal Jaffa without the symbiot." Jon explained.

I looked over at Jon when he spoke and noticed Jon was not looking so well. "What is wrong Jon? You don't look so good."

He smiles at me and sat over by a bulkhead to lean against. "My job as a clone is over," he says.

Tilly came over to Jon and asked, "What is a clone?" Jon raised an arm to invite Tilly to sit with him. She sat next to him and he pulled her in for a hug.

Sam came over and asked, "Jon? What are you talking about?"

By then everyone else was gathering around and waited for Jon to give an answer. "Mercurio was unable to fix it completely." Jon intoned.

Sam squatted down and looked Jon in the eye, "What are you saying?"

"I'm dying Sam," Jon said simply.

"No!" yelled Tilly and scramble onto Jon's lap and took his face in her little hands, "You cannot. I will not let you!" And before any of us could do anything, her hands began to glow an amber color and Jon's head tilted back and he closed his eyes and then went totally limp. When she finished she slumped forward against Jon's chest. Sam reached for her and held her close to cradle her in a hug.

"Is she alright?" I asked.

"I think so. She is just exhausted."

A bright light around Jon formed to transport him to a medical pod that Thor had ready for him.

"Thor how is he?" Sam asked as she stood up with Tilly still in her arms.

"He is better for now. I do not know if this will continue or hold. Time will tell."

Tilly was starting to stir and Sam shifted her to get a better look at her. "Hey there kido, you back with us?"

"Yeah, I think so. What? ---- is Jon better?" She asked anxiously.

"We believe so," said Teal'c.

"That is good, right? Where is he?" she asked.

Jacob came over by that time and answered, "He is over there in a medical pod. Thor is tending to his needs." Jacob still looked a little green around the gills.

"Jacob, are you sure your OK?" I asked as I drew near him.

"I'm not sure. Selmac is feeling a bit under the weather, but not life threatening. He just not used to being sick."

"Thor, you want to check Jacob/Selmac out for us?" Sam asked.

Before the question was finished Thor began to transfer Jacob to another medical pod sitting near Jon. "Thank you. Now, Tilly if you're filling better, you mind if I put you down."

"That is fine. I would appreciate it." Tilly never did get her answer about clones, but I'm sure Jon or Jack will eventually tell her.

Sam started backing up from placing Tilly down when a body of a person started to materialize out of nowhere and slammed hard into the floor faced down. It was Jack! He was hurt badly I could see a greenish slimy goop smoldering and bubbling on his lower back. He gave a moan and looked up at Sam and Tilly screamed. I thought I heard Jack say something. It sounded like 'Ori', whatever that was.

16


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Jack**

"Aaugh!" I yelled as I sat up in bed in a pool of sweat. I looked around to figure out were I was and what is going on.

I am in my own house, in my own room, in my own bed with the sheets damp and tangled around my legs. I try to remember the nightmare but it had already slipped threw the cracks.

I looked at the clock and noticed it was only 0375. I might as well head into work. I am not going back to sleep anytime soon. This has been the norm for the last few nights and still I cannot remember the dream that has plagued me.

I went ahead and cleaned-up and change the bed. You know this is not a very good start for a Monday. Maybe, since I am going in early, I can get some work cleared out before the briefings get started.

ooOoo

"Jacob, you would not be missing a Tok'ra and a ship by any chance?"

This is so weird. It is like deja vue. I just knew what to expect from Jacob and the scary part is I have a very sinking feeling I know who the Tok'ra is.

'Dam!' This is so not a good Monday.

ooOoo

"Daddy, Daddy!" yelled the two kids that wrapped themselves around Garan's legs. "These hellions are Jack and Sam."

'Cool,' I thought, but something drew my attention away, a little girl standing off the path near a very large tree. She did not join the bunch around Garan; she just stood there and stared at me. Something inside clicked and I knew...she is my daughter.

I squatted down with my knees cracking and raised my arms out to her and instantly she ran to me and I heard her mentally say 'Daddy' before we gave each other the biggest hug possible.

While I was getting the hug of my life I remembered my dream, or nightmare, all in one huge flashback, all the way to seeing Oma or Marsha and her twin leaving after exiting the Regnum Mysterium.

Then everything started to spin and I felt strange, like being on a merry-go-round at high speeds with all sorts of bright colored lights flashed in my eyes. When everything stopped spinning and flashing I saw Marsh's face, the one of resignation before she and Marcus were gone.

'Whoa! Deja vue.'

"What the h...!" I was standing there and feeling a strange presence in the distance. I quickly threw up my mental shield around my mind and body, in hopes of preventing the same thing from happening the last time, or was that a premonition, what ever the case, I sped towards my home plane of existence. I knew who it was and we did not need them back in our universe or galaxy again.

Just as I got closer to my reality a power or force slammed me into it with such strength that I could not control my landing or my mental control over my shield, so I hit Thor's deck hard anyway, but I at least do not feel the major burning sensation as before in my back. My head took most of the impact though. I saw Sam's shocked face and heard Tilly's scream before I lost consciousness.

When I woke I was afraid it would be a dream again. I looked around and found quit a few faces staring back at me.

"Daddy? You alright?" I moved my head to see Tilly kneeling next to me with Sam by her side. Daniel was on my other side along with Teal'c.

"I think so. What's going on?"

"I...ahm...not sure, but it looked like you had a rough landing," Daniel said while hugging himself. "How is Oma?"

"Oh...fine, just fine. You know, she and her twin decided to take a sabbatical."

"Twin?" asked the crowd at large.

"Yep, her name," I smiled and tried to sit up, "get this...its Marsha."

"You're kidding, right?" Daniel asked while staring at me with a bemused look on his face.

I slowly shook my head and was hard pressed to stop myself from laughing at Daniel's look on his face and passing out.

Carter asked, "Who is Oma's...no Marsha's twin?"

I sat there debating whether or not to tell them when I heard Jon mentally call out to me, 'Jack? You here yet?'

I frowned and tried to look for him.

"What is the matter Daddy?"

"Jon. Where is he?"

"He's in that pod," Tilly said pointing to the far side of the room.

I shakily got up off the floor with the assistance of Daniel and Teal'c and slowly progressed to the pod.

It was proving to be very difficult, especially when you can't feel your legs and the world keep tilting.

'Jack, tell Tilly it's all right. She did her best,' Jon telepathed weakly.

'She tried what?' I quarried.

'She tried to heal me. It was not enough. She is good, though. She will be a very strong individual when she grows up,' Jon stopped and seemed to pass out.

I asked Thor to open the pod for a moment. 'Daddy, will he be all right. I tried to help him, but I believe it was not enough.'

I placed my hand on her head to comfort her and replied silently, 'It's all right sweetheart, you did well, and you kept him going until I was able to get back.'

'Will you be able to help him?' she asked when she moved closer to hug me.

I gave a grunt of pain as she hugged me, 'I'm going to try.'

"O'Neill, you are hurt. Let me help you first before you try helping Jon," Thor said from his console.

I tried to shake my head to decline help but a wave of dizziness swam through my head and since my legs do not work I ended up dead weight between Teal'c and Daniel. Thor's quick thinking had me in a medical pod next to Jon. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my head injury in hopes to heal myself, but I could not seem to be able to channel the energy needed and passed out from the effort.

**Jacob**

I was feeling better and was about to let Thor know when suddenly I was transported next to Sam by Jon's med unit. I was going to ask Sam what was happening when I noticed Jack in the unit I had vacated.

"Someone mind telling me what's going on?" I asked.

Daniel looked at me with sad eyes and explained, "Jon is ill and maybe dying; Jack was hurt from re-entering our space and time; other than that everything is just peachy."

I glanced at Daniel and wondered if he was channeling Jack.

"Dad, you and Selmac feeling better?" Sam asked as she put an arm around me while trying to hold Tilly. On a closer look at her I saw how hard all of this was on her. She looked awful.

"Yes, Sammy, we are. In fact, I feel great and so does Selmac. It's like we were rejuvenated. How about you?"

She smiled tentatively and peered over my shoulder at Jack and Jon and said, "To be honest, I don't know. I'm having difficulty comprehending all of this and my heart is breaking because I realized that I do not want to be without Jack any more. I love him," she whispered the last with such conviction that I knew that Jack better get his ass into gear and get well or he will have to deal not only with Sam, but with me as well.

Thor spoke to us from his console, "I have prepared resting places for you to retire and get nourishment. It will be at least two of your hours before we arrive at your home world of Earth. I will contact you when O'Neill is conscious."

"Will he and Jon be alright?" asked Daniel.

"I cannot say at this time. Both are gravely ill."

"Wait! Jack just hit his head right. You can fix that right?" Daniel entreated.

Thor just stared unblinkingly at Daniel without saying a word.

"O'Neill will be well," stated Teal'c. I guess he figured if he stated it as fact it would be true. Something Jack was always good at. One can only hope.

"Thor? Tell us, what are Jack's odds in surviving?" Daniel growled. Yeah, Daniel growled. Amazing, Daniel can be very imposing when needed.

"O'Neill sustained massive head trauma and there was major damage to the spinal cord. He is paralyzed from the waist down and there is intracranial bleeding causing pressure to his brain as well as to the symbiot and the both remain unconscious. I do not know if or when he will regain consciousness."

Silence surrounded Thor except the muffled sobbing from Sam's shoulder where Tilly had buried her head. Daniel looked on the verge of doing the same along with Sam. Teal'c looked as if he would tear something or someone to shreds.

"I am sorry I cannot give you better news. If and when he awakes we will know more," Thor expounds.

"Thor, you think you could show us to our quarters now? And do you have something that will help them rest?" I asked waving a hand at SG1 and Tilly.

**Hammond**

The day just gets better and better; first, Jack called at 0630 this morning, DC time; second, I fly out to over see the base while he was gone; third, Jon collapsed at school and subsequent disappearance; fourth, the containment of a doctor and now a high school principal, who had to storm the mountain demanding to know the where abouts of her student; fifth, maintain the peace with the evacuees from Endora at the Alpha site; sixth, there is a little girl is missing along with SG1, it is 2300 and still no word from any of them. The team I sent to Endora already returned to say that they found no one but did find evidence of Jaffa and staff blasts at the crashed ship and all we can do is wait.

Sooo...here I am in my old office trying to keep my mind off of the possibilities wondering if Jack and SG1 are all right.

A glow to my right caught my attention. When I looked closer I saw Jack standing there smiling at me with a halo of the light that originally caught my eye. "What the...Jack? What are you doing here and like this? You look like...an apparition."

"You miss me?" he smiled his full blown classic O'Neill grin.

"Jack what's going on?"

"Well, the Goa'uld are cured; Jon is dying; Tilly, my daughter, is the answer to the Asgard genetic problem; Oma saved her twin brother from Anubis, by the way he's dead; the Tok'ra will be an ally that have a future now; and I...and I maybe leaving," he said this while ticking off each one with his fingers.

"What are you talking about son, leave for where?"

"I'm not sure. However, I'm here to let you know that Thor is orbiting Earth and the Endorains can return home. Also, let Laira know that Tilly is well."

"Jack?" I wanted to know more about him when another glow behind Jack appeared. It was Jon. "Jon?"

Jack smiled again and looking at me closely, like he knew Jon was with us. "Jon and I will be leaving. Not sure when we will be back if at all. Tell Sam that I do love her and that we will be together one day," and with that said he and Jon both faded away.

The briefing room is full of sullen faces, mine being one of them, and it is 0400 in the morning. Colonel Carter and Jacob are seated to my left and Daniel and Teal'c on my right.

"You are saying that this Claviger," I pointed to the box at the center of the long briefing table, "worked?"

"Yes sir," said Sam dejectedly. She was not even looking at me, just down at the table.

"What happened to Jon and Jack?" I asked, suspecting the answer.

Daniel cleared his throat and leaned forward with his hands clasped on top of the table, "We were trying to rest when Thor summoned us from our quarters. When we arrived there was a wall of light surrounding both medical pods and." he took a deep breath to calm his breathing and focused on his story, "Their bodies started to raise up and out of the pods that where still sealed and merged together. Then..." he could not say any more. He seemed to choke up.

Teal'c picked the story up, "as in an explosion, they burst into thousand of multi-colored lights and the wall or shield between us and the medical units dissipated."

Sam sat there with tears tracking down her cheeks; Daniel sat back and started his self-hugging and staring at the table; Teal'c sat ramrod straight and focused on nothing.

It was Jacob that finished the story, "Tilly had rushed in behind us and screamed when she saw the fireworks. She collapsed soon after. Thor helped her and in the process he discovered she had the life code needed to help the Asgards." He had paused for a moment then continued; "You saw her state of mind when we got back. It did improve when we got her back to Endora with her mother. Both Laira and Garan took the story of what happened to Jack hard but handled it well."

"Thank you, Jacob. What about the Tok'ra? How are they handling everything?" I had asked, still knowing what Jack had told me.

"We are feeling very well indeed, in fact all of us have regained our youth. There is one exception, Anise/Freya are not only well but also our new Queen. Imagine that, the Tok'ra line has recovered."

"That's wonderful Jacob," I said with as much enthusiasm as I could mustard under the circumstances.

"Yes, but I wished it did not come at such a high price," as he looked at Sam and grabbed her hand to help lend her support.

"So do I...So do I," I said wishfully.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

**Airman Foster**

I have been here at the SGC for a few years and still cannot fathom the depth of reality. The Stargate is real; aliens are real; and I am here to witness the mind-boggling reality of it all.

The base is full of people that say they are not heroes, just people who are doing their duty, I being one of them. I am not tooting my own horn – no, far from it. I just know the risks we take each and every day when we come into work, but none more so then SG1, the premier heroes of this base. Yes, heroes. They are definitely heroes, saving our butts and then some on more than one occasion.

The CO of this base used to be the leader of the team. In my book he is the greatest one of them all. Hero worship you say, maybe, but I try to model myself from his example. He has always taken the time to say hello or find out if you had seen the game the night before, but lately he's barely had time for himself. Like yesterday morning when I was ending my shift, I ran into him when he came into work. He was not looking his best and I asked him if he was alright. He just nod and said yes he was fine and he thought he could get a mountain of paperwork out of the way, hoping to start off a Monday on a good footing.

His day did not end that way from what my team told me this evening when I came in for my shift. The duty officer assigned my team Security detail with General Hammond. I was surprised to hear he was in the mountain and to find out that General O'Neill was out saving the Universe again. General Hammond was here temporary to cover for General O'Neill until he returns...maybe.

We were standing in the briefing room at our security post and could not help hear that General O'Neill did a spectacular vanishing act. My heart was sinking with the information they were telling the General. Don't get me wrong, I am happy that the Goa'uld maybe taken care of; the Tok'ra are healthy and flourishing; the Jaffa are restored to the human race, but it is hard to hear that General O'Neill may not return, as well as his...son.

I was contemplating on our missing CO when the klaxons sounded and sent everyone from the briefing room scrambling down the stairs to the control room. My team was not far behind.

"There's no GDO signal as of yet, sir," CMSgt Davis informed the General as he descended to the room.

"Keep the iris closed," before he finished his sentence the base lights shut down and a moment later a hologram of Baal appeared at the center of the gate ramp.

General Hammond leaned into the mike and asked, "What is it that you want, Baal?"

Baal quirked an eyebrow and began to smirk as well. "I have found something of yours, perhaps?"

The General had squinted his eyes and gave Baal a glare, "Like what?"

"Well it really is like who."

"Who is it Baal and what do you want in return?"

"I will show you when you let me through your gate, and as for what I want..." he paused to give effect for his next words, "...I would like to start negotiations for an alliance."

Everyone's mouth in the room dropped open, including mine, when we heard that little statement. 'Yea right, when pigs fly,' I thought. 'You know...around here that could be possible.'

"I am sorry, but that is unacceptable. We can not allow you through until we have assurances of Earth's safety."

Baal appeared to digest that as he tilted his head to one side and looked at General Hammond. "If I let the people through will you consider a meeting?"

"Yes, but we will have them checked out by our medical team first. Then and only then will we discuss what we require of **you** before you may step through the gate.

Baal looked at him and bowed his head and then spoke without his Goa'uld voice, "I am Am'ir, and I am host to Baal. Please stand by to receive two individuals through the chapa'i."

We all just stood there in stunned silence. Baal gave a small bow and vanished and the lights came back on. I have always wondered why Asgard technology had to drain the base power for the holograms to work.

The gate was still open from Baal's side and when we opened the iris it took a good minute before anyone stepped through.

The General and the rest from the briefing room went down to the gate room to greet our new comers. The two figures that came through had those stupid robes with the hood up over their heads. It could be anyone or anything under there. I hate those things. All of my team and SFs in the gate room kept our guns drawn and aimed at our new comers.

Both persons reached up slowly and started to draw their hoods down. When they brought them down completely there were gasps from the General, the Colonel, the Tok'ra and the Jaffa. Daniel Jackson gasped as well with one word falling from his mouth, "Oma!"

"Hello Daniel," the lady said with smile that was so serene.

"What happened?" He asked.

Before he could get an answer, the General interupted by saying, "Dr. Jackson, why don't you show our guest to the infirmary for their check-up and we will meet in the briefing room in one hour. Then we'll get down to brass tacks." 

"Yes, sir," he answered while still staring at the lady. The other person was silent and his head was bowed. I am not sure of him, so I kept a closer eye on him while Airman Perkins and I followed the group to the infirmary and Johnson and Wertheim trailed the General and the Tok'ra.

I have meet a few Tok'ra and I agree with pretty much everyone else, Jacob Carter is the best of the bunch. Well, that would be Selmac actually. I always thought the host had a lot to do with the attitude this particular Tok'ra has. General Carter being a retired Air Force General, a known leader, helped Selmac easily see Taris' point of view; while Selmac, on the other hand, being the oldest Tok'ra probably helped smooth out the rough edges of the General. The blend works.

We finally make it back to the briefing room an hour later. Dr. Jackson seems pensive and quiet, not having initiated any conversation with the lady or the gentleman during the whole time they were in the infirmary.

Once the room was settled the General started the debriefing, "Welcome to the SGC," he said and inclined his head in a salute towards the couple. "I understand we're waiting on some of the medical tests?" He asked, addressing the question to Dr. Jackson.

"Yes, and Dr. Brightman will be here when she receives the results."

"Thank you Dr. Jackson. Oma, do you remember everything or have your memories been erased as Daniel's were when he descended?"

"I have most of my memories except for the Ascended abilities. I did not retain any of the powers it entailed."

"What about the Ancient abilities? Do you still have those?" Daniel asked.

The klaxons decided to go off at that precise moment so the question was destined to be unanswered till another time. "Unscheduled off world activation," as Davis announced over the PA.

**Hammond**

'Now what,' I thought. 'I cannot wait until General Landry gets here. I'm getting to old for this.'

I make my way back down the stairs. Sam, Teal'c and Jacob followed. Daniel stayed with our guest.

"What do we have son?" I asked while approaching the window.

"Sir, we're receiving a message from Endora," answered Walter.

"Go ahead and patch it through."

"Yes sir."

"This is Garan of the Endorians, please may I speak with General Hammond."

"This is General Hammond. What can I do for you, Garan?"

"I am not sure. My sister, Tilly, is more or less demanding to go back to your base. She says it is urgent and that it has to do with her father, Jack."

This could be just a child hurting for her father or she really knows something. I looked around to gage half of SG1 and Jacob reaction to this news. Sam shrugged her shoulders, Teal'c raised an eyebrow and Jacob tilted his head to one side, none were committing to an opinion.

"Go ahead and send her through. We will take good care of her."

"I will be joining her sir," it was a statement, not a question.

"Fine son, come on through," I said. "Sergeant, open

the iris."

I went down to greet our newest guest as they exited the gate.

"Hello, Tilly. It is good to see you again." I said and reached out a hand to clasp hers.

She took it and squeezed it gently. "Thank you, sir," she said and did not take the time to breath before her next statement. "We need to get to the Claviger quickly before it is to late."

The urgency was a tangible feeling pouring off of her. "Then come this way," and I motioned for her and Garan to follow me to the briefing room.

**Sam**

I was trying to hold it together but I was not succeeding very well. Dad is trying to help but I am afraid it was falling short.

All the good that came out of Jack's sacrifice does not help the self-pity that I was feeling. I know that both Jon and Kanan were among the same sacrifice, but I could not stop the hurt I was feeling in losing Jack. We both had sacrificed our love for saving the world. I was tired of it all and sitting there and listening to Oma and the General I finally realized that there would be no more Jack to be there to make things better or jokes for distractions.

Then the klaxons came to life with its normal blaring. I followed the General to the control room to find out what else it could be.

When I found out that it was Tilly, I almost broke down right then and there, because it was too much. I wanted to yell at Tilly, 'Stop it. Leave it alone.'

So when Tilly came through and said, 'that we need to get to the Claviger quickly or it would be to late,' I began to have a glimmer of hope, just a glimmer. I was afraid to hope too much and then have it all come crashing down again.

We made our way to the briefing room where everyone did a quick reintroduction. Then Tilly moved to the device still sitting in the center of the table. Daniel reached for it and pulled it to the corner of the table and closer to Tilly.

She looked up at Daniel and said, "All four of us need to touch it at the same time. We need to touch our crystals that we touched before." She had turned to look at each of us in turn.

We each nod our head, to say we understood and moved closer to the Claviger. Tilly further explained that I needed to touch her shoulder while Daniel touches mine and Teal'c will place his hand on Daniel's. She did not explain what she would be touching, but I had an idea.

General Hammond had instructed everyone to step back to the outer edges of the room and called for a medical team to stand by.

We all took a deep breath, surprisingly even Teal'c, and reached out to touch our corresponding crystals and appropriate shoulder. All of the crystals on the box began to glow. Tilly reached with her other hand and placed it on the larger center crystal. A surge of energy pulsed through all of us.

**Garan**

When Tilly came to me earlier, saying she had to get back to Earth immediately. I was doubtful. Then seeing her bringing SG1 together and starting up the box, I became a believer. Then when I saw what looked like blue lightening vibrating through all four people, I was scared and worried, or more like terrified, about Tilly and our friends. Then another energy pulse hit and their heads were thrown back and their backs arched. I prayed that they would not die.

You could feel the electricity jumping and tickling us as we watched. The power on base shut down and the only lights we saw were from the four people locked in a statuesque macabre before us. I feared for all four of them.

Then, quiet suddenly, everything abruptly came to a halt. No lights where on except for the red glow from some emergency lamps that came on due to the power outage.

As my eyes became accustom to the dim lighting I noticed the bodies of Tilly and SG1 laying on the floor. I rushed to Tilly's side to check and see if she was alright. The doctor that was called earlier was also there in the same instant checking for her pulse, she proceeded to check the others when she found one.

"General! Doctor! There are two more bodies over here," a security guard had yelled from some where near the office door. "I believe one of them is General O'Neill, sir."

16


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen Sam 

'Come on Jack, you've got to wake-up now,' I mentally chastised him for the umpteenth time. I'm on my third watch with Jack in the infirmary since we brought him back. Luckily we did not suffer any side effects and I'm not even sure how we were able to bring all three back; Jack, Jon and Kanan.

The weirdest part is that Kanan is no longer in Jack. He is in Jon now, but that is not helping Jack.

I sat there holding his hand and waiting. I had another four hours before Daniel's turn, but I feel a presence behind me at the door. I turned to see Jon standing there.

"Hey, how is he doing?" he asked as he walked into the room to join me at Jack's bed.

"The same, still comatose," I turned back to Jack and sighed.

I had wondered about the mental connection that we had before we brought them back and just remembered to ask Jon about it. "Why can't Daniel, Teal'c and I hear each other's thoughts any more?"

Jon brought over another chair from near by and sat down next to me before he began to say anything. "It was part of the connection with the Key. Once the Key completed its job the connection was severed." He looked at me and waited for my next question - he knew I had more.

"Why can't you heal him? I know you have that ability because Tilly does. I know you are stronger and can handle something like this, right?"

"Well, yes and no. I could if Jack is willing."

"What do you mean, willing?" I could not believe he would think that Jack was not willing to live.

"It is hard to explain. Physically, he is alright. So helping him is a mute point when it is the physical I can only help with."

"That means Jack is stuck in...where?"

"Not really stuck. More like resting."

'OK, I'll buy that,' I thought.

I was still holding Jack's hand and rubbing my thumb across the back of his hand. It is strange that I'm so drawn to Jack but I do not have the all-consuming feelings for Jon as well. "Jon?" How was I going to word my question without sounding rude?

Jon helped me out, "How come you don't feel the same for me as you do for Jack?"

"Yeah," I sighed. Giving Jon a grateful grin for the help.

"Let me ask you this. How do you think I was able to work the Claviger instead of Jack?"

"That is obvious, because you are genetically the same."

"Yes, and we share this life's memories up to my birth, correct?"

"Yes," I agreed with a shake of my head.

"So how were you able to connect with the Claviger?" Jon enquired.

"Well...when I and the others were Ancients we were bonded by Parcae to the device."

"How were you bonded? Was it because of genetics or this life's memories?"

"No." I hesitated a moment and then it struck me what he was looking for, "it wa our souls that was bonded." He just nods his head, but kept quiet and waited.

"I don't understand, don't you have Jack's soul too if you have his same genetics and memories?"

Jon smiled like a patient parent and said, "This lifes memories, not his past lives memories."

"Then you were someone else during the time the Claviger was built?"

"Yes, and I was in the same room when Parcae bonded our souls to it."

I sat there still rubbing my thumb over the back of Jack's hand while I tried to figure this puzzle out.

I know that there were Parcae; Jack as Mercurcio; Daniel as Deucalion; Tilly as Pyrrhae; Teal'c as Tutoris; and me as Caelestis and there were no one else in the room.

"I'm sorry Jon. I do not recall anyone other that Parcae, Jack, Daniel, Tilly, Teal'c and myself in that room," I stated and shrugged my shoulders.

"What do you remember after Parcae bonded you?"

"Jack or Mercurio died."

Jon nods and asked, "What were his last words?"

I was stunned. I looked at Jon and stared at his face as I repeated Mercurio's last words, "Our son needs to continue the line."

Jon just sat there and smiled.

"Holy Hannah!" I exclaimed. I knew my eyes were probably the size of saucers and my mouth could not get any wider.

Jon gave a laugh and moved to close my mouth. "So you see my soul traveled a totally different path before I arrived here. That is why we are not soul mates and you and Jack are."

"It's so simple now that you explained it. Why could I not see it before?"

"Maybe, because dear Sam, you analyze everything from the scientist's point of view."

"That is why you were able to take Jack's place so easily, you had all the bases covered from the soul being bonded to the Claviger and the genetics."

"Pretty much."

I looked at Jack and asked, "He is just resting, right?"

Jon laid a hand on my should and gave it a reassuring squeeze, "Mostly, he is at a crossroad and will be making a choice."

I frowned at him and asked, "...a choice?"

Jon 

How can I explain to her that Jack is at the point where he is deciding to live or die? Also, whether to continue the path he has been on or ascend.

Sam had gotten impatient with me and demanded "What? Whether or not he stays or leaves me?"

"Sam it is not that simple."

"Why not?" her anger rising.

"He sacrificed a lot to give Kanan and me a chance. It placed a big drain on his soul."

That stopped Sam's little tirade and got her thinking a little less selfishly.

"All any of us can do right now is wait and keep talking to him to let him know how much he will be missed, Just love him Sam."

She looked up at me with tear filled eyes and whispered; "I do love him with all of my soul Jon. I pray that it is enough."

"We all do," I lend over to give her a hug and she reciprocated as she buried her head into my shoulder and wept.

Janet 

The breeze was blowing gently across the lake bringing with it the scent of evergreens and wildflowers.

The sun was just rising above the mountain to greet the world with its bright-eyed glory. A lone figure is sitting at the end of the dock that finger out into the lake.

As I approached the man I could see his silver hair being gently tasseled by the breeze. He has his face upturned to receive the most sunlight possible on his face. His eyes were closed and he was taking deep breaths, trying to absorb the synergy of it all.

The silence was soon disturbed by a quiet voice calling to me, as I got closer.

"Hello Janet."

"Now how did you know? I did not wear my clogs."

"I have my ways."

"Yes, I'm sure you do. Jack what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with Sam?"

Jack opened his eyes and looked at me. "Take a seat Janet and rest awhile," he said and motioned to the spot next to him.

I sat down and placed my bare feet into the lake. Just like his.

We sat there for a while before Jack finally spoke, "Parcae sent you, didn't she?"

"Yes."

"And...I bet she has a few more lined up if you don't get the right results?"

"Something like that."

"I appreciate your concern but this is something I need to do alone. Even if she sends Charlie it wont make the difference."

"Not at all?" said a voice behind us. I turned and saw Charlie standing there. I looked back at Jack to gage his reaction.

"Not at all son. Why don't you have a seat here between Janet and me?"

Charlie moved to sit between us as I scooted over to make the room. His feet could just dip into the lake.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to see both of you again and hope you are doing well, but this is my descision."

A glow started to form in front of us and then Parcae appeared standing on the surface of the lake.

"Parcae, you will not influence me on this. I need to do this myself."

"No, I would not dream of doing that to you," Parcae said. I did not know she could do sarcasm.

Jack just stared at her with this strange look on his face.

Charlie had been kicking the water gently, but stopped and looked up at his dad and I asked, "What is it Jack?"

Jack blinked once, then twice, still looking at Parcae. He slowly turned his head and looked at us. "Mercurio was Parcae's son."

"Huh!" I said very intelligently.

Charlie and I both looked at Parcae. She just stood there on the water and smiled. 'Naw, it couldn't be.'

"Yes my son, you are correct. Your father was an Ancient and I was a Firling."

"Was? Are you not one now?" Jack asked.

"Before we rose to our next plan of existence we were called the Firlings. Now that we are here we are called Quantonians. I and your father had risen before the first Claviger was built." When she finished talking, another glow appeared next to her and formed into a human man.

"Hello, son."

"Wow!" I said, but Jack was still speechless.

Charlie went, "Cool!"

"Why are you doing this to me? Why won't you let me make my on decisions?"

"Son, do you remember feeling something just before entering your home plan?"

"Yes, I did, and it was the Ori. What does that have to do with now?"

"Your mother and I feel that it would be necessary for you to remain with Earth an SGC to be able to defend them against the Ori."

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Are you telling me the Ori will be trying to make a come back?"

"Yes," answered Parcae.

"That is just peachy. By the way, you're not my parents, but Mercurio's."

"Our soul gave birth to your soul," was all Parcae said in explanation.

Jack gave a heavy sigh and looked around him at our faces and then jerked his head back behind him in a double take when he saw what was there.

Standing behind us were all of Jack's friends and family. They covered so much of the lawn you could not see the cabin. Charlie Kawalski was leading the pack. "Hi Jack. We all wanted to say hello before you went back."

"You all know me that well?"

"Jack, you made your decision already," Kawalski stated.

"Your right. I long to get back and find a way to be with Sam. The Ori thing just made it more imperative."

"It is good to see you. Take care."

Jack smiled and stood up. He looked at all of us and said, "You take care also. All of you."

He turned and looked at his parents, "will you do the honors?"

They both bowed their heads in acceptance and before they could start what ever they were going to do Jack reached for Charlie, his son and gave him a big hug and told him that he loved him; then he stood straight and looked at me. "We've missed you and love you greatly. Take care," with that said he started to fade away.

Hammond 

I hate having to do this. I had recruited General Landry's help to confront SG-1. It has been three weeks now and we needed to move Jack to a full time care facility. Technically, Landry should be the one to tell SG-1, but I felt responsible for this one. 'This is not going to be pretty.'

I went ahead into the ISO room where Jack was and met with the group there. I had summoned everyone there instead of the briefing room because I had hoped with Jack in the same room it would bring to home the importance of the move.

When I moved to the foot of Jack's bed I notice we had an extra visitor. "Hello Jon."

"General," Jon greeted him. "May I please stay for this briefing?"

I looked at Jon and knew I could not in all consciousness kick him out. "Yes of course. I think everyone knows why I have asked you here."

**_Jack_**

You know, when you start floating to consciousness the first thing that you become aware of is the smell and the noise. The two senses hit at the same time sometimes and leaves you a little disoriented. I take my time to organize the information. I started with smell, and there can only be one place that smells like this...the infirmary. Plus, a hint of vanilla, that could only be one person...Sam. I smile and move on to what I was hearing. Knowing I am in the infirmary I ignore the normal sounds of the machines and center on the voices around me. It sounds like General Hammond. It is hard to tell at first until I fine-tuned my reception.

"I'm sorry Dr. Jackson but President Hayes is in agreement on this as well."

"Will it be close by?" asked Sam.

"Yes, but I need SG-1 back to work now. It has been three weeks and we are needing you," Hammond reiterated.

'Ah, to be wanted.'

'That's funny, it got very quiet in here.'

"Jack?" Sam asked tentatively.

"What? Did I say that out loud?" I croaked out.

"Yes you did Jack," Daniel, replied.

I could feel someone spooning a couple of ice chips into my mouth.

"Why don't you open your eyes?" asked Sam.

"I've been trying but they are not cooperating." My voice sounding better, but I sure could use some more of those ice chips. Then someone spooned some more for me. They must be reading my mind. Wait...read minds? I can do that.

"Jack?" asked Daniel. "You still with us?"

"Uh-huh."

About that time I heard someone coming closer to my bed and the shuffling of feet to make room.

"How long has he been awake?"

I did not know that voice.

"Only for a couple of minutes, Dr. Lamm," said Hammond.

Who? Whoa! Those damn penlight. I thought Janet was the only one who could inflict pain with those things. Just then I heard, 'Watch it she could do the big needle thing too.'

'Jon, you here too?'

'Dah! If you open your eyes you could tell.'

I slowly bring my eyelids up at half-mast to squint at everyone in the room. It appears that I am the main attraction.

"What's going on?"

"Well, we were going to send you to a long term care facility, but you curtailed that idea," said General Landry.

The new CMO spoke up and said, "Alright that is enough for now. Everyone out so that I can examine General O'Neill. When I'm through he will need his rest so no one in until dinner time at 1700."

"May I stay Dr. Lamm?" asked Sam.

"No, not until 1700."

Everyone starts to fill out and I hear Jon do a stage whisper to Daniel, "She worse than Janet was."

Teal'c was behind them and answered with an, "Indeed".

I glanced at the Doc and saw the most ridged and stern face I have ever seen, other than mine, of course. Her arms where folded in front of her and if I was not mistaken, I think I hear a foot taping as well.

'This is going to be so much fun...NOT!'

_**Epilogue**_

'It is good to be home and alone again.'

I was walking back in from the back deck of my house when the door bell rings. 'So much for being alone.'

I open the door to see a smiling Carter.

"Hello! Come on in and take a load off. What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"You, actually," she said with confidence.

"Funny you should mention that." I said as we moved down to the living room.

"Funny?"

"Yes. I was just thinking about giving you a call."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Soooo...why did you want to call me?"

"Oh, no biggy. Just wanted to know if you wanted to go out to dinner tonight?"

"With the team?"

"No. Just the two of us."

"Ah. Well, you're in luck."

"How so?"

"I have not other plans, so I'm free for tonight."

"Is that a yes, Carter?"

"Only if you stop calling me Carter, sir."

"Right."

"So, how is your cop friend?"

"Very subtle Sir."

"Ach! Drop the Sir. If I can't use Carter, you can't use Sir."

Sam just smiled and continued to answer my question, "Pete is back in Denver and he was able to get out of the contract on that house."

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Yeah, Tilly went home today as well and I'm all alone," I said giving a little pout.

"You are?" She asked in a husky voice and she moved slowly to me and placed her hands just below my shoulders and inched them up in a caress to end at the nap of my neck. She leaned forward to press her full breast into my chest before lifting her soft rose petal lips to press sensually to mine.

'OK, so I'm a romantic, sue me.'

After what seemed to be forever we finally pulled from each other and backed off, or at least I did.

"Sam," I said and looked into very dark lust filled eyes. "Wait. If you continue I won't be able to stop."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, yes.

She jerked back and looked shocked, "What?"

"I want to save it for later this evening," I said giving her my patented smile.

"This evening?"

I think she blew a circuit. "Yes, you know...dinner."

"Oh. OH!"

Bingo. I think she got a clue.

"Right, ah...well, I guess I should be leaving and see about getting things ready for tonight," she stammered and backed up the steps from the living room to the front door.

"I'll pick you up at 20H hours."

"Right...OK...see you then. Bye!" She quickly turned and was out of the door at break neck speed. I believed it was Mac2.

I stood at the door and watched her leave and licked my lips in remembrance of the shared kiss. 'Yeah, it was going to be perfect tonight, especially when she sees the ring I got for her.'

"I love you Sam," I whispered. "Ka-awa-an ka ng Diyos (_Philippine for God bless you_)."

_**The End**_


End file.
